Second Beatrice OTM Topside Falling Into Place

The topside of the second Siemens Offshore Transformer Module (OTM2) is currently being installed on the Beatrice wind farm off Scotland, Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) said in the latest Notice of Operations.

The jack-up vessel Seajacks Kraken is scheduled to arrive at OTM2 on 8 May to provide accommodation facilities during commissioning works which are scheduled to start at a date to be determined, the notice said.

Simultaneously, Siemens Transmission and Distribution Ltd (STDL) is carrying out commissioning works on OTM1 in preparation for the energisation of the system. Seajacks Hydra is connected to OTM1 to provide accommodation facilities for the commissioning.

Jacket foundations

So far, Seaway Heavy Lifting has installed 51 out of 86 jacket foundations at the site in the Outer Moray Firth, the notice shows. The foundations will support the two OTMs and the wind farm’s 84 7MW Siemens Gamesa turbines. Turbine installation is scheduled to start this summer.

Cable works

The Nexans AS vessel Nexans Skagerrak has completed a first end pull-in of the export cable 3 (EC3) into OTM2. The vessel is now engaged in jointing EC3, BOWL said.

The CLV Siem Aimery has completed her inter-array cables work scope and will return to the site at a date to be confirmed. The CSV Siem Barracuda will support inter-array cable installation activities in the south-west and central areas of the Beatrice wind farm, BOWL said.

Located on the north-western point of the Smith Bank, approximately 7nm off the Caithness coastline, the 588MW Beatrice wind farm is scheduled to be commissioned in 2019.