Saipem 7000 Crane Vessel Returns to Work at Seagreen Wind Farm
Saipem's giant Saipem 7000 semi-submersible crane vessel is set to return to operation at the Seagreen wind farm site in the UK a month and a half after it was involved in a tilting incident in Norway.
As previously reported, in mid-April, Saipem 7000 tilted in a fjord in Norway with 275 people aboard. The vessel tilted during the planned 5 years main cranes load test, when, as Saipem said, the main block wire broke during the test lifting operation and the testing load (two cargo barges) with the main block was released into the water.
Now the vessel appears ready to return to work, as the developers of the Seagreen wind farm have informed that the Saipem 7000, support vessels, and associated tugs and barges are expected to arrive at the offshore wind farm construction site on or around the May 31, in relation to the installation of wind turbine foundation structure construction.
Seagreen Wind Energy Ltd. said: “Seaway 7 will re-commence the installation of three-legged suction caisson wind turbine generator foundation structures.
"The foundation structures will be towed to the worksite on barges from Nigg, Cromarty. On arrival at the Seagreen development site they will be installed by the heavy-lift vessel Saipem 7000. There shall be a number of anchor handling tugs and barges involved in transporting the foundation structures from Nigg to the Seagreen work site.“
This is not Saipem 7000's first assignment at what will be Scotland's largest fixed bottom offshore wind farm and the world's deepest of its kind. Back in December 2021, Saipem 7000 installed a 5,100-ton substation jacket at the project.
The Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm is located in the outer Firth of Forth and Firth of Tay region of the North Sea. The site is located around 17.5 nautical miles East-southeast of the Port of Montrose where the project Marine Coordination Centre will be located during the construction and operational phases.
The first phase of the development will consist of 114 suction bucket foundation structures, with associated 114 10MW offshore wind turbine generators, 1 HVAC offshore substation platform, associated inter-array, and export cabling.
The generated power will be transmitted to the National Grid via 3 subsea transmission cables making landfall at Carnoustie, Angus, to the Southwest of the development site.
Grid connection will be achieved at the Tealing onshore substation. The second phase of the project will consist of 36 piled foundation structures, with associated 36 Wind Turbine Generators, associated inter-array and export cabling and one additional 1 HVAC offshore substation platform. The phase 2 transmission cable is proposed to make landfall at Cockenzie, East Lothian (subject to appropriate licensing).
The Seagreen Wind Farm, owned by SSE Renewables and TotalEnergies, is scheduled to enter operation in early 2023.
At 1.1GW, the wind farm will be capable of generating around 5,000 GWh of electricity annually which is enough to power more than 1.6 million UK households.