Offshore installation contractor Jan De Nul has shared that the very first jacket foundations have been installed in Taiwanese waters for the TPC offshore wind farm.
Jan De Nul last week said that a total of nine jacket foundations, weighing approximately 1,100 metric tonnes each, had been installed on the seabed using Heerema Marine Contractors' offshore installation vessel Aegir, which Jan De Nul Group chartered for the installation campaign.
In total, the TPC offshore wind farm will comprise 21 offshore wind turbines, each installed on a jacket foundation, which are anchored to the seabed by four steel pin piles. The installation of these pin piles started in June this year.
“Two years have passed prior to installing the first jacket foundation offshore. We are therefore more than delighted that the installation has been successful”, says Peter De Pooter, Manager Offshore Renewables at Jan De Nul Group.
All 21 jackets have been manufactured at the South Korean Shipyard Company Samkang, and measure between 55 m and 62 m in overall height. Five trips are needed for the two chartered heavy transport vessels to bring all jackets from South Korea to Taiwan.
The jackets include a 7.2 m high Transition Piece (TP) with a diameter of 5.4 m to support the towers carrying the Hitachi 5.2 MW turbines. Each jacket comes with two davit cranes for cargo hoisting and two boat landings to enable personnel access. The jackets are equipped with specialized offshore accessories such as navigation lights, foghorns and CCTV cameras.
In the meantime, Jan De Nul Group said it has completed all onshore civil works needed for the connection of the offshore wind farm to the Taiwanese power grid.
The ‘Taiwan Power Company Offshore Windfarm Phase 1 Project – Demonstration’ was awarded to the Consortium Jan De Nul–Hitachi in February 2018.
Jan De Nul Group is responsible for the full balance of plant, including design, fabrication and installation of the foundations, and the provision of the offshore vessel for the installation of the wind turbines. Also included is significant electrical scope, including the supply and installation of the cables both onshore and offshore, as well as upgrading an electrical substation.
Hitachi Ltd. is in charge of manufacturing, assembly, installation and other works related to the 21 Typhoon certified offshore wind turbines using a downwind rotor, each with a capacity of 5.2MW.
The Jan De Nul–Hitachi consortium is responsible for the first five years of operation and maintenance (O&M) of the TPC Changhua offshore wind farm Phase 1.
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