Walcon Marine Completes Berthing Facilities at Great Yarmouth for Dudgeon Vessels

Walcon Marine has completed berthing facilities at Great Yarmouth for vessels supporting the build and future maintenance of the 402 MW Dudgeon offshore wind farm.

This forms part of the infrastructure of the purpose-built Operations & Maintenance base for the wind farm, which will provide 24/7 access to the project throughout its lifetime.

Walcon was contracted by Offshore Design Engineering to design and install the 52-metre jetty on one section of the waterfront.

A series of heavy duty System 21 pontoons three metres across and 11.5 metres in length form the basis of the structure, with 600 mm of freeboard.

Handrails have been fitted at each end and along the back edge, and the decking is tough GRP mesh. Additional features include fresh water, safety pedestals, lighting, navigation lights and CCTV.

The foundations for the 67 turbines for the wind farm and the offshore cabling are currently being installed, and the wind farm is expected to be fully commissioned by the end of 2017.

The Norwegian energy company Statoil is the developer and future operator of the wind farm. Statoil co-owns the wind farm alongside Statkraft and Masdar.

The total investment in the project, which was officially approved in 2014, is estimated at GBP 1.5 billion.

Dudgeon is being developed near the 317MW Sheringham Shoal wind farm, also developed by Statoil and Statkraft, which has been operational since 2012.