The first monopile foundations for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm have reached Port of Teesworks, UK, from Bilbao, Spain, where Haizea Wind Group is manufacturing them for Ørsted’s 2.9 GW project.
Six XXL monopiles of the 197 total for Hornsea 3 arrived in two batches. Cadeler, in cooperation with Mammoet and BigLift Shipping, handled the load-out and load-in as the project’s foundation transportation and installation contractor.
Each monopile weighs about 1,670 tonnes and measures 90 metres in length. According to Ørsted, the top diameter is 8 metres, while the bottom can reach up to 11 metres.
Hornsea Three’s monopiles are supplied by Haizea Wind Group under a contract secured in 2022, which was Haizea’s largest single contract at the time.
The monopiles will be stored at Steel River Quay on the Teesworks site before loading onto offshore wind installation vessels.
“2026 is the year we begin offshore works on Hornsea 3 in earnest, and the arrival of these first monopiles marks a key milestone in that process. Working closely with expert partners is how we’ll make Hornsea 3 a success,” stated Luke Bridgman, Managing Director of Hornsea 3.
Hornsea 3 marks Ørsted’s third large-scale project in the North Sea’s Hornsea zone. It will feature Siemens Gamesa’s 14 MW turbines, located approximately 160 kilometres off the Yorkshire coast.
With an installed capacity of 2.9 GW, Hornsea 3 is the largest single offshore wind farm in the world, developed and built as one project.
Offshore construction is set to begin this year, with the wind farm expected to be operational by 2027.
“With three vessels committed to the Hornsea 3 campaign, including our new A-class vessel, Wind Ally, Cadeler is ready to execute this project safely and efficiently,” said Mikkel Gleerup, CEO of Cadeler.
Original Story at www.offshorewind.biz