Italian engineering and construction company Saipem has firmed up its growing presence in the offshore wind supply chain by securing three contracts worth 90 million euros in total at major wind farms being developed in the UK and France.
In England, Saipem has been contracted by Equinor and SSE Renewables JV to transport and install two offshore HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) platforms for the first two phases of the Dogger Bank offshore wind project: Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B.
Both platforms will have a capacity of 1.2 GW and will consist of a ca. 2,900-ton jacket and a ca. 8,500-ton topside. Dogger Bank will be the world’s biggest offshore wind farm when completed and is located over 130km off the North East coast of England. The project is the first to use HVDC technology in the UK’s offshore wind market.
Furthermore, Saipem has awarded an installation contract by Seaway 7 related to the recently sanctioned Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm. The wind farm is a 1,075MW joint project between SSE Renewables (49%) and Total (51%) off the East coast of Scotland. Saipem's scope of work entails the installation of 114 foundations for an equivalent number of wind turbines.
In France, Saipem has been awarded a contract for the transportation and installation of the jacket and topside of the offshore substation at St-Brieuc offshore wind farm.
Located in Brittany, France, the St. Brieuc offshore wind farm is being developed by Ailes Marines, part of the Iberdrola group. All project management and engineering activities will be executed by Saipem SA, Saipem’s French subsidiary established in Paris.
These offshore installation projects will be carried out by the crane vessel Saipem 7000, Saipem said.
"With these contracts, Saipem further consolidates its position as a key player in renewables, for which a dedicated business line has been recently established within the E&C Offshore division," the company said.
Francesco Racheli, Chief Operating Officer of Saipem’s E&C Offshore Division, commented: “These new contracts confirm Saipem’s participation in the most relevant offshore wind farm developments and are the tangible results of a strategy which has led us to become a global reference player in the energy transition. This significant achievement has been attained by leveraging on our capabilities, our technological flexibility and our distinctive assets.”
Watch the recording of World Energy Report's Offshore Wind Webinar "Outlook for Offshore Wind Power: The Frontier of Future Energy"