WINNER ENTRY 9 Turbine tale

The project was to install two 5 MW wind turbine generators in 40 m deep water, 23 km off the North East coast of Scotland as part of a European Distant Offshore Wind Farms With No Visual Impact (DOWNVInD) project to establish the viability of large capacity wind turbine farms in deepwater and offshore locations.

Weldex was contracted to complete the onshore assembly and the first phase of the installation at Nigg. The company erected a support base in two sections, each weighing 125 tonnes. A 61 m, 230 tonne tower section was installed on the frame and the turbine components, totalling 734 tonnes. Once at the Beatrice Wind Farm site, a Weldex crane mounted on the Rambiz, a 3,300 tonne barge mounted crane operated by marine contractor Scaldis, assisted in the piling work to anchor the substructure in the seabed.