Houlder delivered the first of two offshore pile upending tools for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm development, off the UK’s Sussex coast.
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Image of Houlder's offshore pile upending tools, from Houlder. |
The specialist marine supplier is leasing the innovative handling equipment to the Rampion project being developed by E.ON, the UK Green Investment Bank, and Enbridge.
Through wireless auto-engagement, the tools help reduce crane times and installation costs while keeping personnel away from hazardous deck locations. They are also the optimal solution where the lifting point overhangs the deck or is otherwise out of reach.
The remote controlled hook-up and release system engages directly with the foundation pile flanges. It is a self-contained system with rechargeable hydraulic and electric supplies. Recharging is carried out at a deck-mounted docking station, avoiding the need for additional umbilical connections or power lines during lifting operations.
“The tools are compatible with 855t, 5m diameter piles. These are not small pieces of equipment and handling them offshore, let alone upending them from 0 to 90 degrees, is one of the riskiest operations during wind farm construction. Our tool needed to be incredibly robust, but also lightweight enough to ensure easy integration with existing craneage. Some very ingenious design work has gone into the steel structure and hydraulics. It also goes without saying the control system needed to be simple to use but also provide complete fail safety,” Andy Lovell, Houlder project director explained.
The first of the tools was installed on the MPI Discovery in January 2016. The second will be delivered to the Pacific Orca installation vessel later in the year alongside other Houlder handling equipment currently in development.
The Rampion Offshore Wind development is due to be completed in 2018.
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