UK: Seajacks Orders World’s Largest OWF Installation Vessel

Seajacks International has entered into a contract with Samsung Heavy Industries to build the world’s largest and most advanced offshore wind farm installation vessel. The vessel has been specifically designed to meet the demands associated with working UK Round 3, Scottish territorial waters and the other North West European markets. Seajacks also has options for the construction of an additional two units.

Named Seajacks Scylla, the new vessel is based on the Gusto MSC NG14000X design and will be the fifth new self-propelled jack-up to join the Seajacks fleet since 2009.

The vessel will be equipped with a 1500t leg-encircling crane, incorporate useable deck space in excess of 5000m2, and have over 8000t of available variable load.

Sailing at speeds of 12 knots or over, Scylla will be outfitted with 105 metre long legs that have the ability to install components in water depths of up to 65m.

Seajacks is a leading offshore installation contractor that services both the offshore wind and oil and gas industries. Based in the UK, the company recently expanded from its core market in the North Sea and North West Europe by establishing ‘Seajacks Japan’ as a platform from which to service the Asian market.

Seajacks recently completed the successful installation of all 80 monopiles at the Meerwind Offshore Wind Park on schedule, despite having experienced significantly worst weather than anticipated this winter. As part of its role as Main Installation Contractor at the German site, Seajacks is responsible for the installation of all turbines and foundations, as well as the scour installation, grouting and noise mitigation for the project.

Blair Ainslie, CEO of the Seajacks Group, said,

“Seajacks Scylla is a significant milestone for Seajacks and for the offshore wind industry. She is a Round 3 vessel and is more technically advanced than any other installation vessel that we see on the market today.

Drawing on our extensive experience, and based on feedback from discussions with clients across the supply chain, the design of Seajacks Scylla has been developed to meet the installation needs of jumbo-monopiles, jackets and turbines of future wind farms in deeper waters and further from shore.

We are delighted to be working with a top tier shipbuilder in Samsung Heavy Industries. Samsung are recognised as a premier offshore shipyard who have a reputation of delivering a first class product. We are therefore confident that Scylla will be of the highest quality and certain that she will be delivered on time for the commencement of UK Round 3.

The arrival of Scylla will make Seajacks’ modern fleet of vessels unrivalled in the offshore wind sector for installation and maintenance of wind farms.”

Harris Lee, Vice President of the Samsung Heavy Industries, said

“We are also pleased to be working with Seajacks, a leading offshore installation contractor. Since Scylla will be the most technically advanced unit in the sector, we will put our utmost effort into both the design and construction phases to ensure the best quality and performance of vessel.

Meanwhile, we are viewing the Wind Power market very positively and are therefore optimistic about the optional vessels.”

Seajacks Scylla will be delivered in the second half of 2015.

Since 2009, Seajacks has developed a track record of over 830MW of turbines installed and is currently constructing an additional 288MW at the Meerwind Offshore Wind Power Project in Germany. Based in Great Yarmouth (UK), Seajacks were acquired by Marubeni Corporation and Innovation Network Corporation of Japan in May 2012. Marubeni has a track record of over 96,000MW of installed capacity in Global Power and is also the largest international IPP in Japan. In 2011, Marubeni aqcuired an equity stake in Gunfleet Sands (UK) wind farm.

[mappress]

Press release, June 10, 2013; Image: seajacks