A2SEA News Autumn 2011

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A2SEANEWS

From strength to strength

UK Offshore Wind update

Ten years on positive

effects on the environment

Ship-shape in Qidong

SEA INSTALLER update

WIN AN ON-THE-MOVE ENERGY BOOSTERFOR PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

OFFSHORE WIND STEPS UP

SAFETY AT SEA

NOVEMBER 2011 AUTUMN EDITION


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COVER STORY

24 June. Early morning.Esbjerg harbour. Janne Sommer, technical assistant at

A2SEA, enters the classroom. As she takes her seat, she can hear the wailing of

the wind outside. Its not a source of comfort: after a couple of hours studying

essential sea survival techniques, she and a handful of colleagues will be suiting

up and trying them out. First hand. In Esbjerg harbour.

PRACTICAL SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES

Run by Maersk Training, the one-day Sea Survival course trains

anyone who works offshore to survive at sea if something goes wrong.

Participants begin with some classroom instruction, including first

aid and techniques for dealing with specific rescue situations. Then

everyone in the room gets to try them out. The course covers the

essentials, such as how to leave a vessel by rope, net or jumping,

says course instructor Michael Bang. And we give our students the

opportunity to experience rescue by life raft and helicopter.

The practical side of the course certainly made a strong impression on

Janne. It pushes you to the limit, she says. It was a windy day, and

we had to turn over a capsized life raft and climb on board which

is harder than it sounds when youre wearing a bulky survival suit.

ADMIN NEEDS SEA SURVIVAL, TOO

You might wonder what a technical assistant is doing climbing in

and out of life rafts when most of her work is spent at a desk drafting

engineering drawings. I have to go on board now and then to check

details and get a feel for the vessel, explains Janne. I dont want to

be a liability to the crew if something goes wrong. And it goes without

saying that anyone involved in the design for on-board equipment

and fittings should have a good idea of what happens in emergency

situations.

The Standards of Training, Certification & Watchkeeping (STCW)

convention was originally developed for professionals in the Maritime

industry. And now, Maersk Training has tailored a version for Offshore

Wind. Weve adapted our courses to a variety of industries over the

years, says Michael Bang. But the basics are the same for anyone

who works offshore.

Whether youre in Offshore Oil & Gas or Offshore Wind, knowing how

to use survival techniques in an emergency situation at sea could

save your life even if you spend most of your time in an office.

And according to Janne, training to survive at sea once a year can

be a lot of fun.

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Every player in our industry shares a common goal: to reduce the cost of producing

each kWh of energy by 30 percent. The day that happens, offshore wind power will

become the worlds most cost-effective energy source and the days of producing

power from fossil fuels will be numbered. Now, an innovative approach to jacketfoundation installation looks set to cut considerable time and cost from a wind farm

developers budget, taking us all a few steps closer to the magical 30 percent.

Before Concept rendering courtesy of Teekay

FOR INSTALLATION OF LARGE FOUNDATIONS IN DEEP WATER

FEATURE

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Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the German government

decided to close down all its nuclear power stations and invest in

a new infrastructure based on clean, sustainable power. With new

rules to attract investors and increasing efficiency in construction

and production, Offshore Wind tops the list of viable options.

INthe aftermath of 2008s credit

crunch, the German government

decided to refurbish the countrys aging

nuclear power plants in a bid to get 10 more

years of production out of them. Then, on 11

March 2011, an earthquake measuring 9.0

on the Richter Scale caused a tsunami that

wrecked towns up and down the Japanese

coast and also caused three reactors in

the Fukushima nuclear power station to melt

down. The World Bank estimated the cost of

the nuclear accident to be USD 235 billion

(BPD 144 billion), making it one of the most

expensive disasters in history. An assessment

of the human tragedy may take years.

In response to the ensuing public outcry,

the German government announced plans

to stop all nuclear power production on

German soil by 2022. So where will Germany

get its power?

The short answer: an energy infrastructure

based on renewable technologies. And

for now, the strongest contender seems

to be offshore wind power. In fact, the

German government has already set

ambitious targets for offshore wind energy

production: 10GW by 2020, rising to 25GW

by 2030. However, to meet these goals,

the government needs to find funding fast,

and that means making offshore wind

farms even more attractive for investors.

OFFSHORE WIND FARMS

Baltic SeaNorth Sea

FEATURE

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With less than two months to go until her scheduled launch date, SEA INSTALLER is beginning to

look like a ship if not yet a specialised installation vessel. A2SEAs Head of Newbuilding, Michael

stergaard, recently returned from the COSCO Qidong Shipyard in China to update us on progress.

BLOCK-BY-BLOCK BUILDING PROCESS

The SEA INSTALLER newbuild is making good progress. Each

day, another piece of the huge newbuilding project falls into place,

something Michael stergaard describes as a massive jigsaw puzzle

and now the picture of a true vessel is beginning to emerge. The

aft and bow of the vessel are being installed and she is really starting

to look like a vessel now, says Michael.

At present, the project team at A2SEAs office is carrying out factory

acceptance tests (FATS) of all the main equipment to be installed in

the hull, including the main engines and jacking systems. Michael

explains, The equipment is shipped to China, then tested before itis installed in the vessels hull. And so far so good we are on target

to meet our 2012 deadline.

FINAL TOUCHES

After the vessel is launched, it will enter the final fitting phase, in

which the main crane and jack-up legs will be installed. As soon as

weve launched the vessel, well lift the prefabricated accommodation

block into place, says Michael. Then SEA INSTALLER will be ready

for her crane.

With the project running to schedule, we should see SEA INSTALLER

ready to play her part in European offshore wind farm installation by

early 2013.

NEWBUILDING UPDATES

SEA INSTALLER UPDATE:LOOKING SHIPSHAPE IN QIDONG

SEA INSTALLERis starting to take shape as a vessel

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Documents

A2SEA News Autumn 2011