The first wind turbine jacket foundation has been installed at the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm located some 15.5 kilometres off the East coast of Scotland.
Following the arrival of the first 10 steel jackets on site, Saipem, through its subcontractor Heerema, lifted the first steel wind turbine jacket into place, lowering it onto pre-installed piles on the seabed.
The first batch of jacket foundations was brought directly to the site from the location of fabrication by COSCO Shipping’s heavy load carrier Xin Yao Hua .
The first jacket foundation was then installed by Heerema’s deepwater construction vessel Balder .
The Normand Navigator offshore support vessel then moved into position to undertake subsea grouting and inspections to conclude the installation.
Matthias Haag , NnG Project Director, said: ”The installation of the first of a total of 54 turbine jacket foundations is a significant milestone for the NnG project and builds on the progress of the first of two offshore electricity substations installed in June this year. The collaborative effort in installing the jacket was a great success and we remain on course for the others to be installed over the coming months.”
The 450 MW NnG, jointly owned by EDF Renewables and ESB, will comprise 54 Siemens Gamesa 8 MW wind turbines.
The first turbines are planned to be operational in mid-2023, with the completion of the entire wind farm scheduled for 2024.
Once fully operational, NnG will supply enough electricity for around 375,000 homes and offset over 400,000 tonnes of Co2 emissions each year, according to the developer.