Mammoet completes platform load-out operation for Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm

Having previously delivered similar load-out operations at the Navantia Fene Shipyard, Mammoet had existing knowledge of the quay and was awarded the contract for the load-outs of the five floating foundations. The offshore floating market is currently experiencing large growth, and the success of these five operations demonstrates how Mammoet can support this growth.

Considering platforms weights, the surface conditions on the quay were of paramount importance. To minimise operational risk, Mammoet prepared the quay by installing hundreds of steel plates to level the surface in places where it had previously been uneven.

Furthermore, co-ordinating with various stakeholder groups flexibly was also required to execute each operation on schedule. This included organising each operation to meet the appropriate tide levels and weather conditions and marrying these with the availability of the specialist seagoing vessel contractor and Navantia Fene Shipyard.

Once the quay was prepared and the specialist seagoing vessel docked, Mammoet had only a short window in which it could execute each operation. Mobilising 100 axle lines of SPMTs split between the three columns of the triangular footprint, the floating foundation was loaded onto the three sets of SPMTs, transferred 100 m across the quay, and transversely loaded onto the vessel using 54 m of RoRo ramps. Once unloaded and stabilised using sea-fastening equipment, the load-out was complete. Mammoet successfully completed this operation five times over several months.

“Having worked at this quay before doing similar complex operations, it was the key factor to deliver the floating wind platforms successfully on time”, explains Mammoet Spain Sales Manager, Javier De Pablo Arenzana. He continues: “In addition to our pool of resources and equipment, this meant we were able to offer our client a high degree of flexibility in terms of the project schedule.”

“We believe these capabilities make us well-suited to supporting the growth of the offshore floating sector,” he concludes.

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