August 11 - Peterhead Port Authority, Scotland, will support the offshore construction work for Vattenfall's European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) after signing an agreement to harbour the suction bucket jacket foundations for the 11-turbine sc
The contract will see the port moor one of the world's largest floating cranes, with a maximum lifting capacity of 5,000 tonnes, and up to six barges that will transport the 11 foundations - the heaviest of which weighs around 1,800 tonnes and is approximately 77 m high.
Peterhead Port Authority will also accommodate two supporting offshore construction vessels. A project site office will be established at the harbour for the installation operations, which are due to start later this year.
Swedish energy group, Vattenfall, is developing the EOWDC, off Aberdeen Bay. The contract for Peterhead Port Authority was awarded by Boskalis, which is Vattenfall's key supplier for the offshore construction and installation including the foundations and cabling.
Andre Andringa, project director at Boskalis, said: "Peterhead Port Authority's facilities provide a natural fit to support the foundation installation work for a number of reasons. With more than 3 km of deepwater berthing, it can comfortably accommodate a large heavy lift vessel while the harbour is also sheltered which helps minimise the impact of weather conditions for loading."
The foundations will be transported to Peterhead for mooring using six barge vessels, five of which will carry two foundations each, while the sixth will transport the final one. The installation vessel will be moored alongside the barges for heavy lift operations.
According to Vattenfall, the Port of Peterhead will support the installation operations for at least four months, with the offshore work expected to take around four to six weeks.
