On exactly the same day as Swiber Else Marie left the area after a job well done, the next and just as remarkable vessel was preparing for work.
Figuratively, all the stops were pulled out when the shipping company, A2SEA, presented its bespoke turbine installation vessel, Sea Installer, in Grenaa on Tuesday 19 February 2013.
Sea Installer is a 132-metre long bespoke second generation turbine installation vessel built for installation of wind turbines in the range of 3-6MW. But the vessel has already been tested in practice.
Very soon after its delivery, Sea Installer installed the first two 6MW Siemens turbines at DONG Energy’s offshore wind farm, Gunfleet Sands, in the United Kingdom. The 6MW turbines are the largest offshore wind turbines in the world so far.
The vessel has a deck capacity of 3,350m2 and a main crane with a lifting capacity of 800 tonnes. In connection with the installation of Anholt Offshore Wind Farm, Sea Installer will carry three complete wind turbines on each trip, but when fully commissioned, the vessel will be able to carry a total of eight complete 3.6MW turbines.
Sea Installer has unique manoeuvring abilities and advanced electronic positioning equipment which ensures that the vessel is capable of positioning itself exactly in relation to the wind turbine positions. Electric diesel engines with a total capacity of 18MW will supply sufficient power to maintain the desired position.
Sea Installer will replace Sea Jack which has other tasks to attend to, and together with Sea Power and Sea Worker, the three installation vessels will continue the installation work throughout March.
At the end of February 2013, 48 wind turbines had been installed in Anholt Offshore Wind Farm; 44 are connected to the grid and 30 have produced electricity.
[mappress]
Press release, March 07, 2013; Image: dongenergy