ALE's latest marine investment, the Sarah S barge, has been deployed on its inaugural job to transport transition pieces as part of an offshore wind project in the UK.
ALE has been contracted to provide the specialist offshore engineering as well as the marine transportation, sea fastening, load out and ballasting of over 100 transition pieces for Ørsted's Hornsea Project One.
Earlier this month, ALE loaded out the first five units, each weighing 337 tonnes and measuring 25 m high, from the fabrication yard onto the barge for the marine transport. Conbit, part of ALE, performed the structural integrity and sea fastening calculations of the grillages on the barge deck.
Once on the Sarah S barge, the transition pieces were transported on the River Tees to the discharge berth.
According to ALE, the Sarah S barge is 3 m narrower than most North Sea barges. This enabled the barge to fit between the quayside and the offshore installation vessel, and within the radius of the latter's cranes.
The installation of the transition pieces will be carried out by GeoSea's vessel Innovation and A2Sea's Sea Installer. The 174-turbine wind farm is expected to be operational in 2020.
ALE's role in the project is expected to last until the end of 2018.
