Four wind farms, three countries, one project: C-bed takes on a new logistically complex campaign.
C-bed recently completed its 25th offshore wind project and shortly after took on the next challenge. Since the end of February 2020, our DP2 walk-to-work vessel, Wind Innovation, has been deployed in the UK for the initiating part of an multiple wind farm upgrade project led by MHI Vestas Offshore Wind.
The project includes the upgrading of four wind farms across the UK, Germany and Belgium, which entails the use of both Liverpool and Eemshaven for loading of supplies and crew change. These factors naturally make up a complex logistics set-up for C-bed and requires precise planning and a thorough design.
Operating across four different wind farms
C-bed will act as project base camp for the upgrade project on four wind farms back to back. It is a combined project on several different types of foundations, which will draw on C-bed’s 12 years of experience and will involve intensive collaboration and planning together with MHI Vestas.
Overall, the combined project includes upgrading of wind turbines divided between the following wind farms:
• Burbo Bank Extension, UK
• Borkum Riffgrund 2, Germany
• Norther, Belgium
• Walney Extension, UK
As such, Wind Innovation is currently positioned at the Burbo Bank Extension wind farm for the initiating part of the upgrade project. She will then head off to Germany, Belgium and back to UK waters.
While upgrading the four wind farms, technicians will enjoy life on board C-bed’s Wind Innovation throughout the project.
Bridging logistical factors
Wind Innovation operates according to the highest standards of offshore construction vessels with her walk-to-work capabilities and market leading operational weather working limits.
On this new multiple offshore wind project, we get to demonstrate a broad range of C-bed’s capabilities. The project requires special care in terms of bridging indispensable project parts such as HSE documentation, orchestrating logistics across multiple base ports, bracket design challenges, blade strike analysis and gangway height flexibility.
With this new project well underway, we welcome 2020 and are ready to play our part in another exciting year in offshore wind.
