Heavy lift specialist ALE has completed works for Orsted's Hornsea 1 wind farm off the east coast of England.
ALE was contracted by GeoSea to provide the specialist offshore engineering alongside the marine transportation, sea-fastening, load-out and ballasting of over 100 transition pieces (TPs) in the UK.
The project concluded in February 2019 when ALE completed the final discharge of the 106th transition pieces (TPs) onto the installation vessel.
"ALE’s offshore engineering expertise enabled them to complete the marine transportation, sea-fastening, load-out and ballasting of over 100 transition pieces (TPs) for one of the biggest offshore wind farms in the world, Ørsted’s Hornsea Project One," said ALE.
As well as drawing on new and innovative equipment for the first time, ALE was able to utilise the experience of their Conbit operation for the project’s structural engineering and provide a cost-efficient and safer solution.
ALE’s scope on the project began with the load-out of the TPs, each weighing 337t and measuring 25m high, from the fabrication yard onto the barge. Conbit provided the engineering for cost-effective storage and SPMT stability during the ALE transport operations at the yard.
The project was the inaugural job for ALE’s SARAH S barge. It is 3m narrower than most North Sea barges, making it ideal for this project, as the barge could fit between the quayside and the offshore installation vessel, and fell in line with the vessel’s crane radius limits for transferring the TPs from the barge to the installation vessel.
ALE provided the full, specialist marine scope of work for these operations, which demonstrated the breadth of ALE’s internal expertise and ability to provide unique, tailored solutions. Combined with the strength of the ALE – Conbit collaboration, ALE showcased their ability to provide a complete service package.