At the end of July, the „INNOVATION“ arrived at the Orange Blue Terminal in Eemshaven. This was not the first assignment at the Dutch offshore terminal for the modern heavy lift jack-up vessel from HGO InfraSea Solutions, which installs foundations at the Global Tech I wind park for HOCHTIEF Solutions. However, its premier jack-up occurred on July 31. The loading of the three tripod foundations, with a combined weight of 2,700 tons, for the Global Tech I wind park ran smoothly.
“The successful loading of the heavyweights is another milestone for our offshore division. The handling of foundations requires entirely different logistics planning than transshipping separate offshore wind components. This is the result of very good teamwork with Global Tech I Offshore Wind GmbH,” according to Heinz Wasser, Managing Director of Orange Blue Terminal and Managing Director at Buss Port Logistics .
The future handling of the foundations, the final assembly of which will occur in Emden, is to continue at Eemshaven in the Netherlands. Global Tech I has also contracted Orange Blue Terminal for the handling of the corresponding piles, as well as additional assembly work on the tripods. It profits from the short distance to the planned and installed wind parks in the North Sea.
Buss Port Logistics, operator of Orange Blue Terminal, completed the three-phase expansion of facility at the end of last year. Today, the terminal has total area of 216,000m2, with additional expansion areas and all the equipment required for the execution of offshore wind projects. “With a heavy lift platform with a capacity of up to 20 t/m2, 14 m draft, a quay length of 694 m and modern equipment our Orange Blue Terminal could quickly establish itself as the North Sea terminal for offshore wind projects. We are more than satisfied with our utilized capacity,” adds Wasser .
The Orange Blue Terminal is one of Buss Port Logistics’ ten multipurpose terminals. Uniteam Projects B.V., a subsidiary of Marico Holding is a co-partner of Orange Blue Terminal. In addition to offshore wind projects, during its expansion Orange Blue executed projects, such as handling generators during the fitting out of a cruise liner or loading Dutch military vehicles.
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Press release, August 5, 2013; Image: Buss Group