Wind turbine number three and foundation number five are being installed on the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) in the Aberdeen Bay, with the northern cable installation also ongoing, Vattenfall, the owner and developer of the wind farm said.
The 11-turbine project is the first to feature MHI Vestas 8.8MW wind turbines, with the first of the two of the world’s most powerful units installed on its suction bucket foundation earlier this month.
The remaining nine wind turbines are rated at 8.4MW. The turbines are being transported from Esbjerg to Aberdeen by Swire Blue Ocean’s vessel, the Pacific Orca, where they are lifted into position on the installed foundations.
The 25,000-tonne floating crane vessel Asian Hercules III is installing the suction bucket foundations. The heavy lifter is transferring the 77-metre high, 1,800-tonne steel jacket foundations from Peterhead Port and installing them some three kilometres off Aberdeen.
VBMS, part of Boskalis, is installing the wind farm’s inter-array and export cables.
The 93.2MW EOWDC is expected to generate first power this summer and operate for 20 years.
Photos: Vattenfall UK/Twitter