A2SEANews Summer 2011

A2SEANEWS

The sTaTe of play in UK offShorE wind

The coming of the giants: REpower at Belfast

Logistics solution for SCIRA at Sheringham Shoal

Play to your strengths: collaborating on the

London Array installation

� WIn thE gREEnESt WAy To recharge your mobile or camera – anywhere!

June 2011 Summer edition

4 6

14

in The summer issue of A2SEANEWS

4 cover sTory the state of play in UK offshore wind The biggest infrastructure in uK history ramps up to meet ambitious 2020 targets

6 feaTures A2SEA installs giant REpower turbines at Ormonde for Vattenfall repower’s 5mw turbines – the world’s largest – installed in the uK for the first time

8 It’s a question of logistics, Captain logistics and planning at sheringham shoal

10 World’s first 1gW offshore wind farm for UK’s capital new, renewable energy source will save the uK almost a million tonnes of co2 emissions a year

12 Ships, seabeds and shallows: preparing for world’s biggest offshore wind farm Three challenges facing the installation teams at the london array

13 the key to efficient offshore wind farm installation: collaboration industry know-how – and how it’s shared on three key uK projects

14 the campaign for efficient, low-cost met mast installation Today, met mast installation is costly; but it doesn’t have to be

14 14gW and 27,000 jobs for the UK offshore wind set to make a dramatic impact on the uK job market

16 the UK show that grows and grows from humble beginnings, the renewableuK offshore wind conference keeps pace with the industry

17 golf TournamenT new golf tournament gives industry leaders face time on the links networking continues on the green after renewableuK offshore wind conference

18 newbuilding uPdaTes newbuilding: more than milestones for A2SEA in China rapid progress on sea insTaller, and new a2sea facility in Qidong, china

19 news round-uP The latest in safety and sales at a2sea

co

ver

Ph

oTo

: To

ny

wes

T / v

aTTe

nfa

ll

2 A 2 S E A N e w s – s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 V i s i t u s a t A 2 S E A . c o m

13

OffShOrE WiNd UK: on diSplAy in forcE

By the start of 2011, 1.5gW of offshore wind power had been installed in the uK, making it the world’s eighth largest producer of wind power – and the number one producer of offshore wind power. This is reflected in the size of this year’s renewableuK offshore wind conference in liverpool, which is now the largest event of its kind in the world. The offshore wind industry has arrived, creating nothing less than a new economic ecosystem in the uK that is generating work for a diverse array of businesses, such as surveying, construction and logistics.

because offshore turbine installation makes up a part of that ecosystem, growth in the uK has had a profound effect on our operations at a2sea. active in the uK offshore wind industry since 2002, we have recently confirmed our commitment to uK operations with the appointment of a new regional manager. This brings us even closer to our customers and partners in the uK, and gives us the flexibility to expand our uK team with the highly skilled and experienced people we’ll need as round 3 projects enter the construction phase.

The uK’s commitment to offshore wind is enabling the industry to become truly professional and compete in an extremely demanding sector. Time and time again, as we go about our business, we meet people dedicated to delivering clean, renewable energy to the uK – at a price that can compete with fossil fuels. and these are the people we expect to meet this June at the renewableuK offshore wind conference in liverpool. we’ll be there with lots to show, talk about and give away, along with 166 other exhibitors in what promises to be the biggest and best industry show to date.

hope to see you there. Kaj Lindvig, chief sales officer

ediTorial

WIn! thE gREEnESt WAy to recharge your mobile or camera – anywhere

This month, you can win a

rugged, all-weather rucksack

– and lower your personal

carbon footprint. The bag

features a built-in array of

solar panels that generates

enough power to recharge

a camera or mobile phone.

for a chance to win, just leaf through this copy of A2SEAnews for the answers to the three questions below. Then simply fill in your answers at www.A2SEA.com/green_competition. rest assured, any information you enter is totally confidential, and won’t be shared with a third party.

The competition runs from 01.06. to 30.06.2011.

the questions1. how many delegates were there at

the first ever RenewableUK Offshore Wind Conference in 2002?

a. 172b. 272c. 372

2. how many tonnes of CO2 does the London Array estimate it will save the UK every year?

a. 325,000 tonnesb. 625,000 tonnesc. 925,000 tonnes

3. What is the name of the A2SEA vessel installing the 30 REpower wind turbines at Ormonde?

a. sea worKerb. sea insTallerc. sea JacK

remember to enter your answers at www.A2SEA.com/green_competition. and, good luck!

A2SEANEWS

PhoTo: Tony wesT / vaTTenfall

3S u m m e r 2 0 1 1 – A 2 S E A N e w SA 2 S E A – P o w E r E d b y k n o w h o w

http://www.a2sea.com/green_competition


2002

2,000 12,000

4,000 24,000

6,000 36,000

ROUnd 1

ROUnd 2

AnnuAl MW

OffShORE WInd fARmS: ROUndS 1–3

CUmULAtIVE mW

ROUnd 2½

ROUnd 3

2006 2012 2016 2020

A dministered and owned by the crown estate, the uK’s marine real estate encompasses 22,000 kilometres of coast

line. all successful bids to develop offshore wind farms in uK coastal waters must include the crown estate among its partners.

RAmping up REnEwAblE powER

The biggest infrastructure project in uK history is underway. already, over 430 offshore wind turbines, with a total capacity of around 1.5gw, have been installed since 2000. That is, however, nowhere near the target of 20gw by 2020 – enough to supply 20 percent of the nation’s power needs with renewable energy. The installations up to now have proven the concept; now, there’s just the small matter of installing the remaining 18.5gw by 2020.

in fact, if every site approved by the crown estate is developed on schedule, 25gw will be installed by 2020, creating an estimated 70,000 new jobs in coastal regions around the uK. between three and five british harbours will need to be earmarked for

development before the construction of round 3 gets underway around 2014. able to handle huge turbine components efficiently and provide berths for specialist installation vessels, the harbour refits will bring a welcome injection of investment into some hard-hit areas of the country.

A nEw EcoSyStEm of SuppliERS

round 3 wind farms will produce as much power – and require as much operations and maintenance – as traditional onshore power stations. The largest, proposed for the dogger bank site, will have a capacity of 9gw, and will require a whole ecosystem of suppliers to keep it running efficiently for the next 25 years – the length of the leases granted by the crown estate. That’s employment for a generation of local people.

at time of writing, just two of the proposed 15 round 2 projects have been completed, including the world’s largest at Thanet. we are witnessing the birth of a new industry – one that will provide the inhabitants of this densely populated island with jobs, and a viable alternative to non-renewable sources of power.

The sTaTe of play in UK offShorE wind

COvEr StOry

PhoTo: Tony wesT / vaTTenfall

the uK is a densely populated island. many of us, used to spending hours in traffic jams every week, would even call it crowded. However, the uK has 30 million hectares of largely undeveloped real estate that very few people get to see: the surrounding seabed.

A 2 S E A – p o w E R E d b y k n o w h o w 5s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 – A 2 S E A N e w s

feature

How do you produce enough renewable energy to power 100,000 homes with just 30 wind turbines? simple: install the biggest turbines you can get your hands on. with five successful offshore wind projects under their belt, Vattenfall took the bold move to install the world’s largest offshore turbines at Ormonde – repower r5s. and they asked a2sea to carry out the installation.

The ormonde project is not the first time a2sea and vattenfall uK have worked together on a groundbreaking

wind farm. The two companies collaborated at Thanet, a 300mw, 100-turbine wind farm 12 kilometres off the coast of ramsgate in Kent. capable of supplying 200,000 homes with renewable power, Thanet is still the world’s largest offshore wind installation – for the time being. “during the project our two companies built a close relationship

based on mutual trust and respect,” says ole bigum nielsen, offshore Projects director for vattenfall uK. “we didn’t want to take any chances at ormonde, so we went for a2sea with all their experience and know-how.”

The sheer size of the repower turbines adds an extra dimension of structural and logistical challenges to the project. in place of monopiles, the r5s are installed on jacket foundations – the first time this has

been tried on a commercial offshore wind installation. and although this is a first, it looks likely to become the foundation of choice as a new generation of wind farms uses larger turbines in deeper water further out at sea. “we’ll probably be using jacket foundations on all of our round 3 projects,” says ole. “and that includes the 7.2gw norfolk bank wind farm project, which could start as soon as 2014.”

A2SEA inStAllSGiAnt rEpowEr tUrbinESaT ormonde, UK for VaTTenfall

SEA JACK leaving belfast harbour for the first time, loaded with repower turbines


feature

mAking good pRogRESS At oRmondE

at time of writing, all the jacket foundations are in place at ormonde. it all went according to plan, and now the turbines themselves are being transported to the site and lifted into place by a2sea’s sea JacK. although inclement weather slowed down the start of the turbine installation, there have been no incidents, despite the low margins for error as sea JacK is towed out through the 126-metre-wide musgrave canal with a load that’s 110 metres wide.

belfast harbourmaster Kevin allen remarked that the good start was partly due to the simulations the teams ran three months earlier at force Technology in lyngby, denmark. “of course, real circumstances are dif ferent,” says Kevin. “but the operational guidance and support provided by the simulation inspired confidence in everyone involved. and, in terms of marine safety and management, the project is running exceptionally well.”

each run involves loading sea JacK with two giant repower turbines (including towers, rotor and blades), manoeuvring through the canal to the mouth of the harbour and sailing to the ormonde site, 10 kilometres out to sea at barrow-in-furness. There, the crew of sea JacK installs the turbines on the waiting jacket foundations.

“installing a 661-tonne, 153-metre wind turbine in the irish sea safely and carefully is a world class engineering achievement,” says matthew green, vattenfall’s Project manager for ormonde. “never before have two turbines of this scale been assembled and then transported in a single trip.” but, this is more than a sign of things to come. with huge projects due to start in uK waters in the next four years, this scale of operation will become commonplace.

REnEwAblE powER RiSES to nEw hEightS

symbolising the absolute power of the ancient pharaohs, the great Pyramid at giza rises 143 metres above the desert floor. symbolising the might of capitalism and conspicuous wealth, skyscrapers have to be taller than 150 metres to earn their name. and at 153 metres from base to blade tip, massive wind turbines such as the 661-tonne repower r5 may come to symbolise a bold future based on renewable energy.


feature Q&A

with no specialised vessel on the project, a2sea delivers a package of project planning, logistics and instal lat ion solut ions for the sheringham shoal offshore wind farm, 20 kilometres off the coast of North Norfolk in the uK. we caught up with thomas Gellert, senior Project manager at a2sea to find out what it means for a marine installation company to operate without using one of its own vessels.

Sheringham Shoal is an A2SEA project with a difference. for one thing, there’s no A2SEA vessel involved. So what does A2SEA bring to this project? thomas: Know-how. we’re providing a solution for the logistics and turbine installation phase of the project. so we organised the supply of two barges, each with her own tugboat, to transport the turbine components for six turbines at a time from esbjerg to great yarmouth.

Is there any particular know-how you contributed to this? thomas: yes, a key task was to design sea fastenings for the turbine components so everything is secure when the loaded barges set out to sea. we’ve worked a lot with 3.6mw siemens turbines before, so we have a good body of knowledge to draw on.

So, the turbine components are fastened down for the sea transport. What next? thomas: once we arrive in great yarmouth, we reload the components onto the specialist installation vessel. This is chartered by scira offshore energy ltd. and supplied by an operator who is new to northern european waters: gms (gulf marine services). They normally operate in the Persian gulf on oil & gas projects. They sailed one of their new-built jack-up barges, gms endeavour, to holland, where we gave it a refit.

it’S loGiSticAl, cAptAin

gmS Endeavor


What did you do? thomas: we designed, fabricated and installed all wTg sea fastening and added all necessary auxiliary deck equipment, including an auxiliary crane, a special gangway, winches and lifts. we also supplied systems for navigation and surveying. Then she was ready for action.

Is that the extent of A2SEAS’s involvement? thomas: no, not at all. on board gms endeavour, we have an installation manager, crane operators, lifting supervisors and other specialists. and in great yarmouth, a2sea operates the quayside facilities, including crawler cranes and other loading equipment. our solution for the project begins with planning, transport and logistics, and then the emphasis shifts to transportation, loading and installation operations.

has this project posed any specific challenges? thomas: so far, time has played a key role on this project. it’s been pretty tight! we entered the project in late 2010 when it became apparent that the original vessel wouldn’t be available for scira offshore energy ltd. we began the planning in december 2010, and we’re supplying the first barge for loading in esbjerg on 1 may 2011. it’s all come together very quickly, mainly because we are well-versed in all the planning procedures and familiar with all the various elements that go into a complex project like this.

you’re sharing the installation with three other companies. how does that work? thomas: we’re used to collaborating with other companies. at sheringham shoal, a2sea carries out the logistics and lifting, gms is responsible for the vessel, and siemens takes care of the turbines. but, at the end of the day, we’re all working toward the same goal: to achieve an efficient installation. and, just as on any project in offshore wind, health and safety is the key. a2sea has always taken a maritime approach to operations and benchmarked safety regulations against the oil & gas sector. it’s great to be working alongside gms, who have a lot of experience in oil & gas.

thomas, you say you’re familiar with the main elements that go into this kind of project. Is there anything new to your team? thomas: There’s always something new in offshore wind. but, this is the first time we’ve worked with scira offshore energy ltd, which is a joint venture between the norwegian companies statoil and statkraft. They have a lot of experience in the oil & gas sector and energy production, and it looks as though they’re going to be a major player in offshore wind. we will do our utmost to make their first project in offshore wind a success.

barge loaded with six 3.6mw siemens turbines leaving esbjerg


Just how big is phase one of the London Array?

• 100km2 offshore site

• 177 monopile foundations

• 175 siemens 3.6mw turbines

• 2 offshore substations and a new onshore substation

• 220km of export cable

• 200+km of inter-array cable

• 630mw of clean energy

• 480,000 homes powered by the london array

• 925,000 tonnes of co2 emissions saved every year

• 2.2 billion euros to construct and install phase one

feature

World’s firsT 1GW offShorE wind fArm for UK’S cAptiAl

New

renewable

energy source

will save UK over

900,000 tonnes

of CO2 emissions

a year

LOndOn ARRAy

LOndOn

V i s i t u s a t A 2 S E A . c o mA 2 S E A N e w s – s u m m e r 2 0 1 110

t he london array offshore wind farm has attracted a lot of media attention in the uK – and deservedly so. To begin with, it’s huge. in fact, the london array project

is the largest single operation undertaken by the offshore wind industry to date. The first phase of the project alone involves the installation of 175 siemens 3.6mw turbines and two offshore substations on a 100km2-site off the english channel. as you can see from the map above that’s an area big enough to cover most of central london. and the first phase will enable the wind farm to generate 630mw of electricity, enough to supply 480,000 homes with renewable energy.

EmbARking on A voyAgE towARd REnEwAblE EnERgy

The wind farm’s location, close to greater london 20km off the coast of Kent, has also contributed to media interest in the project. with a population approaching eight million, greater london is one of the most densely populated parts of europe. many londoners

can still remember the notorious ‘pea soupers’ – dense, toxic fogs caused by emissions from the city’s thousands of coal-fired homes. The great smog of 1952, thought to have claimed the lives of 12,000 londoners, prompted the uK government to take the drastic measure of banning coal from london homes.

That was the first step in a 50-year journey toward clean, renewable energy for the uK capital that has brought us to the construction of the london array project. even in today’s greener london, on its completion by the end of 2012, the new offshore wind farm will save an estimated 925,000 tonnes of co2 a year.

if approved, the second phase of london array will raise the bar higher still, bringing the wind farm’s output to 1gw – the first offshore wind farm to reach a capacity of 1gw in the world – generating renewable energy for around 750,000 homes. and the uK will save a massive 1.4 million tonnes of co2 emissions every year.

thE LOndOn ARRAy IS BIg. VERy BIg. if it was built on land, it would cover most of central London

overlay London ArrAy

City of London

11s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 – A 2 S E A N e w sA 2 S E A – p o w E R E d b y k n o w h o w

a seabed littered with debris from 300 years of naval activity and two world wars. marked variations in substrata. water so shallow that parts of the site lie 20 centimetres above sea level at low tide. these were just three of the challenges facing the installation team when planning on London array began – the first phase of a two-phase project that will result in the world’s first 1Gw offshore wind farm.

W ith such a variety of conditions, the london array site demanded in-depth surveys. The

seabed of the area was first surveyed in detail in 2004, when shell was still involved in the project. back then, the wind farm’s layout was very different, so when the new consortium of dong, e.on and masdar gave the project the green light in 2009, one of its first moves was to commission new surveys.

called in to oversee and co-ordinate the surveys, rPs engineering uK employed a range of techniques including side-scan sonar imaging, core sampling and cone penetration tests to build up a detailed map of the seabed’s key geophysical features. This would provide the installation teams aboard mPi adventure and a2sea’s sea worKer with a clear map of where they could lower their jack-up legs. however, there were a few surprises in store.

ShipSThe surveys revealed the remains of a world war ii minefield, a military training range, and a number of shipwrecks – some dating back 300 years to the time of brigs, barques and galleons. The magnetometer survey also uncovered a 250-kilogram object that the surveyors suspected was an unexploded bomb. as a result, two of the foundation locations were moved so that there would be no risk of jack-up legs coming into contact with the object. “This is one of the world’s busiest shipping channels,” says a2sea Project manager Preben boström. “There’s a lot of debris down there, but thanks to the surveys, everything is going according to plan.”

SEAbEdS once it was clear where jack-up legs could be lowered, the teams also needed detailed information on how far they would need to be lowered. core sampling and cone penetration testing enabled surveyors to analyse the substrata as deep as 50 metres below the seabed. bathymetric surveys, sub-bottom profiling and side-scan sonar imaging identified the sediments down to 12 metres below the seabed’s layers of sand and gravel.

with all this information, planners at mPi and a2sea could calculate how far jack-up legs would expect to penetrate the seabed in each location. in addition, a2sea ran some onsite jacking trials in 2011 to verify the assessment of the soil data. “and fortunately,” says Preben boström,

“we found solutions to all of the concerns outlined in the rPs engineering surveys.”

ShAllowS of the 5,800 kilometres surveyed, about 2,600 kilometres lay in water depths of less than five metres. in fact, the water in some places was so shallow that during a2sea’s jack-up trials, one of the tugboats drifted onto a sandbank and was beached until the tide turned six hours later.

“The tug is strong enough to handle being beached, so no harm was done,” says Preben.

“but the crew found sitting at a 20-degree angle for six hours a bit annoying!”

The biggest challenge to offshore installation vessels operating in shallow water is scour – when currents wash away the sand around the feet of the jack-up legs, destabilising the vessel and jeopardising the safety of the operation. a2sea’s sea worKer overcomes this problem by firing jets of water into the seabed below her jack-up legs to liquefy the sand, allowing the legs to penetrate to a safe depth of more than five metres.

with shallow water making up almost a third of the site for the wind farm, sea worKer’s ability to operate in shallow water is one of the reasons she was chosen to install 54 of the site’s 175 foundations. “mPi will be doing the heavy lifting and the big foundations in water depths up to 30 metres,” explains Jesper Kristian Jacobsen, Project director at abJv. “sea worKer, meanwhile, will be operating in shallow waters where her crew will have to use all their experience and know-how in extremely shallow water.”

sea worKer began the installation phase of the project by installing the first wind turbine foundations while mPi adventure sailed to europe from cosco’s chinese shipyard. once she joins the project, she will be the largest and most advanced specialised installation vessel operating in offshore wind today.

Unsung heros: seabed surveyors

bAthymEtRic SuRvEy uncovERS ShipwREck At thE london ARRAy

an aaZ (archaelogical avoidance Zone) was established close to one of the london array’s export cable routes after a shipwreck was discovered in 4.5-metre-deep water during a pre-construction seabed survey. lying on the seabed close to foulger’s gat channel in the outer Thames estuary, the wreck has well-preserved hatch coamings and thwarts, which show up clearly on the sonar images gathered by the crew of emu discovery. however, the wreck is yet to be identified.

The cable will be rerouted further to the west, at a safe distance from the aaZ. This means that the survey team will have to map out a new route for the cable and check changes to anchor patterns for the installation vessels.

ships, seabeds & shalloWs: prEpArinG for world’S biGGESt offShorE wind fArm


we have reached a watershed in the development of the offshore wind industry. many countries in northern europe, particularly the uK and Germany, are about to install offshore wind farms that will dwarf their predecessors in terms of the number, size and output of wind turbines. and, as any industry insider knows, installation capacity is going to be stretched to the limit.

the key issue, however, isn’t the current lack of specialised vessels and equipment – there are at least 12 newbuilds scheduled for delivery in the next two years. The crucial factor will be industry know-how – and how that know-how can be shared. for the 630mw london array, two companies are doing just that.

ShARing thE woRk - And thE know-howThe installation of the wind farm’s 175 turbines has been divided between a2sea and mPi. “mPi adventure will take care of the heavy lifting and the heavier foundations,” explains Jesper Kristian Jacobsen, Project director at abJv. “meanwhile, a2sea’s sea worKer will be operating in waters of five metres or less, where she’ll have to watch out for the tide.”

mPi adventure, mPi’s new specialist installation vessel, will install around 120 of the wind farm’s 177 steel monopile foundations once she arrives in europe from cosco’s chinese shipyard. sea worKer will also be involved in the installation of the foundations for the wind farm’s two offshore substations along with the sheare leg matador 3.

installation of the 175 siemens 3.6mw turbines will also be divided between the two companies, with a2sea taking the same 54 shallow-water sites where they had already installed monopiles.

“we’re aiming for the most efficient installation,” says a2sea Project manager Preben boström.

“The teams from the two companies share an excellent track record and a similar level of knowledge.”

thE Right EquipmEnt, thE Right pEoplEmPi adventure is the first of the new generation of installation vessels. she’s bigger, so she can carry more components at a time – future-proofing her against the next generation of giant 5, 6 and even

7mw turbines. she’s also self-propelled, which reduces sailing times between quayside and installation site, and simplifies the logistics of coming in and out of harbours. and with a high standard of accommodation, mPi adventure is ideal for major installation projects that demand long stints at sea.

however, as both companies are at pains to point out, it’s not just about the equipment.

“sure, both companies have all the specialised too l s and equipment ,” s ays Je sper.

“we developed a lot of them. but, to every project, we bring a proven track record of planning, management and experience from major offshore construction projects.”

Preben agrees. “we’re used to managing major contracts and fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together,” he says.

A tRAck REcoRd of SuccESSful collAboRAtionThis is the fifth installation a2sea and abJv have done together. where a2sea’s expertise lies in turbine installation, abJv’s lies with the installation of concrete gravity based structures and monopiles; and they have combined forces at major wind farms such as Thanet, horns reef ii and now london array. “it seems like every time we work together, we’re building the biggest offshore wind farm in the world,” says Jesper.

with such a long track record of collaboration in a young industry, a2sea and abJv held a series of productive meetings to coordinate the project’s logistics and supply chain – quite an achievement for a project that’s almost twice the size of the world’s next biggest wind farm. “in terms of planning,” says Jesper, “the teams had to focus on the shallow water positions: that’s where timing is crucial.”

“yes, it’s quite a challenging site,” adds Preben. “The shallowest parts of the site are 20 centimetres above sea level at low tide, and the deepest sections are nearly 30 metres deep.”

knowlEdgE ShARing At oRmondE And ShERinghAm ShoAlsharing knowledge at the planning stage was also integral to the ormonde wind farm, where a2sea is installing 30 giant repower r5 turbines off the coast of belfast in the irish sea. “we have to coordinate the different parties out on the open water together with the project owner, vattenfall,” says frank Zimmermann, head of the offshore business unit of repower systems ag. “here, detailed planning of methods and interface handling over the last two years are paying off.”

at the sheringham shoal wind farm, three companies are collaborating to achieve an efficient installation. a2sea is responsible for lifting and organising the supply chain, gms is chartering and operating the vessel and siemens is taking care of the turbines once they are lifted into position. although each company has its own objectives, ultimately they are sharing their know-how to achieve the same goal: an efficient installation that helps lower the cost of clean energy.

goals set by the uK and the eu may prove tough to hit by 2020 unless installation companies collaborate at the planning stage of each project. efficient installation isn’t just about bringing individual projects in on time and budget; it’s also about building quality that endures. That’s what will bring down the cost of offshore wind-generated energy and make it the most competitive source of power on the market by 2030.

feature

The Key To efficienT offshore Wind farm insTallaTion:

collAborAtion PhoTo: Tony wesT / vaTTenfall


thE CAmpAigN fOr EffiCiENt

low-coStmEt mASti N S t A l l A t i O N

P roblems with getting the right installation

vessels for each project is pushing up costs

and causing delays on offshore wind installations

all over northern europe. The installation of

meteorological masts for wind farms is particularly

hard hit. a recent headline in renews said it all:

“vessel drought pushes met mast bills sky high.”

even though a met mast installation is a relatively

straight-forward, one-shot project, it requires

the same fully equipped installation vessel and

detailed planning as an offshore wind farm. with

installation capacity still an issue in the offshore

wind industry, securing the right vessel and team

can be a challenge in itself. vessels tied up in full-

scale wind farm installations can only commit to

a met mast installation if there’s a large enough

gap in their schedule. and, more often than not,

vessel operators prefer a long-term contract over

a one-off met mast installation.

all this adds up; today met mast installation is

extremely costly. but it doesn’t have to be.

The industry’s two most experienced installation

specialists, abJv and a2sea, have come up with

a solution that can save wind farm owners money

– and simplify the planning of major installations

across the industry. The idea is simple. with a

pool of three vessels (a2sea’s sea Power

and sea JacK, and gms’s endeavour) offshore

developers have a window of six months to secure

each met mast installation. installing a series of

met masts during a set period of time, without

losing time between each installation, helps keep

costs to a minimum. and, because the same

crews apply the same standards and methods

on a long-term schedule of met mast installations

across europe, every installation is efficient.

according to ewea’s

Pure Power 2009 report,

wind energy created over

60,000 new jobs in the eu

between 2002 and 2007.

today, Offshore wind is

showing a similar rate of

growth, and its impact

on the uK job market is

expected to be every bit

as dramatic – and diverse

14GW and

27,000jobsfor UK

V i s i t u s a t A 2 S E A . c o mA 2 S E A N e w s – s u m m e r 2 0 1 114

mORAy fIRth

fIRth Of fORth

dOggER BAnK

hORnSEA

EASt AngLIA

SOUthERn ARRAy

WESt ISLE Of WIght

AtLAntIC ARRAy

IRISh SEA

feature

Every offshore wind farm represents a triumph in planning, a commitment to renewable energy – and a huge

investment. however, the investment doesn’t end with the installation of foundations, wind turbines and cables. a wind farm has a life of its own, and like anything mechanical, it needs constant monitoring, maintenance and repair. once the marine contractors have left the playing field, the arena is open for an entirely new value chain requiring its own set of facilities, logistics and, most importantly, manpower. That’s what has captured the nation’s attention.

renewableuK’s director of Policy, dr gordon edge, knows that job creation is crucial when it comes to securing government and public support for the offshore wind industry.

“Just when the uK seemed resigned to a dematerialised economy based on services,” he says, “offshore wind power presented the uK government with the opportunity to create a new industry and thousands of new jobs.” latest figures from the uK government suggest that completing the 14gw-installation of offshore wind farms in rounds 1 to 3 could create as many as 27,000 jobs in the uK.

knock-on EffEct At ShERinghAm ShoAl

at the sheringham shoal wind farm, scira estimates that 40 permanent jobs will be created for the local community around wells harbour. in addition to this, the presence of such a big offshore development will stimulate more business in the community at large. one local businessman looking forward to these benefits is marc mackenzie, owner of the sea marge hotel, north norfolk, uK. “in the short term, a lot of the accommodation providers will benefit from the injection of finance to facilitate the installation of the wind farm,” he says. “in the long-term, there’s the on-going maintenance of the offshore site, so there’ll be jobs created that will help the community be more sustainable for the future.”

as the installation phase gets into gear, the harbour at wells-next-to-the-sea is undergoing regular dredging. robert smith, the harbourmaster there, says, “wind farm companies and survey companies come in and that brings more revenue, which i put back into the harbour. so even people with nothing to do with wind farms are benefitting.”

cREw boAtS At wAlnEy

now that there is more than 1.5gw of wind power installed in uK waters, the wind turbines themselves need a team of people for operations and maintenance. dong energy currently owns two boats dedicated to transporting service personnel who carry out routine maintenance and repairs on turbines at the walney wind farm. it’s a two-hour round trip to walney from barrow-on-furness where the boats are stationed. however, the offshore site is so big that the boats spend their working day making sure technicians get to the right turbines at the right time.

each boat is crewed by a team of four people from a2sea ltd, although there are only ever two of them on board at any given time. “They work two weeks on, two weeks off,” explains a2sea vessel superintendent Pauli andersen. “and they are at sea for 12 hours at a time.” and, the crew members are all local people who were involved in the installation of walney i. although the service is small scale, its success means that it’s likely to be expanded, creating even more jobs for local people once walney ii and its extension, dubbed ‘walney 2½,’ are complete.

OffShORE WInd fARmS round 3 Zones

A 2 S E A – p o w E R E d b y k n o w h o w s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 – A 2 S E A N e w s 15

growth of the Offshore Wind Show

in terms of size, the first renewableuK Offshore wind Conference in 2002 (back then, called the Bwea show) was a modest affair: there were just five stands and 272 delegates. its scope, however, was massive. academics, policymakers and engineers discussed the feasibility of generating competitive energy with offshore wind farms, and how to overcome all manner of technical challenges. those 272 people paved the way for many of the processes, techniques and projects in what has become the offshore wind industry.

t he industry’s first full-blown conference took place in 2006, and at this

year’s event, 167 companies will be exhibiting across the two huge halls of liverpool’s arena and convention centre. The two-day event is expected to draw nearly 3,000 people. clearly, the conference, like the industry, has come a long way in just nine years.

“no other sector has changed as much as offshore wind has over the last decade,” says nick medic, head of communications at renewableuK. “There’s a tremendous breadth of expertise: cabling, underwater welding, logistics, environmental services… it’s a long and complex supply chain, and you can see this diversity first-hand at the exhibition.”

fRom infAncy to AdolEScEncE

Just eleven years ago, the first two 2mw wind turbines were installed a few metres from the shore at blyth to test the infant technology. by the start of 2011, more than 1.3gw had been installed, ranking the uK as the world’s eighth largest wind power producer – and the leading producer of offshore wind power. now, each new wind farm project seems to be larger and further from the

shore than its predecessor, demanding ever more specialist know-how and experience. some of this knowledge originates from the offshore oil & gas and onshore wind power industries. much of it, however, has been developed by a host of companies now specialising in offshore wind.

“all kinds of services are on display at the exhibition,” says nick. “and as the offshore wind industry works toward carbon-free electricity production for the uK, it ’s creating more and more employment and economic growth. To date, there are about 430 turbines installed in uK waters. but, by the end of the decade, this figure will be at least ten times higher.”

The growth is impressive. however, viewed from a long-term perspective, offshore wind has only just reached adolescence. according to the uK government’s baseline scenario, by 2020 there should be at least 14gw installed in uK waters, producing 43Tw hours of carbon-neutral power every year. and, perhaps just as importantly, that will mean more than 27,300 new jobs for people in the uK. all in all, it looks like those first 272 delegates were at the start of something big.

thE 10th REnEwAblEuk confEREncE & Exhibition At A glAncE

name? renewableuK offshore wind 2011

When? 29–30 June 2011

Where? arena convention centre,

liverpool, uK

how many exhibitors? 167

how many visitors expected? around 3,000

described as? The world’s premier offshore

wind power event.

Why Liverpool? nick medic: “close to major

offshore wind farms at

north hoyle, burbo bank,

barrow and rhyl flats.

great venue, helpful staff

and a welcoming city with

lots to see and do.”

Why attend? nick medic: “it’s simply

a fantastic opportunity for

networking and keeping

up with the industry’s key

movers and game-changers.

everyone there will be

a major stakeholder.”

the uk Show tHat GrOws aNd GrOws

visit a2sea’s stand at the exhibition and see the new model of SEA InStALLER

V i s i t u s a t A 2 S E A . c o m16 A 2 S E A N e w s – s u m m e r 2 0 1 1

This event is sponsored by:

The 2nd Annual Offshore Wind Golf Tournament

Join the industry for the 2nd Offshore Wind Golf Tournament – and carry on

networking after the Renewable UK 2011 conference in Liverpool.

Meet some of the industry’s key players at dinner on Thursday 30 June. Then join us on the golf course the next day for tournaments, refreshments and fun. Expe-rienced players and beginners are equally welcome – and the course pro will be on hand to help you get started.

Itinerary

30 June 16:00 Coach leaves from the ACC Arena in Liverpool30 June 18:00 Pre-tournament dinner and networking at Formby Hall Golf Resort1 July 8:30-14:00 Golf tournament & lessons for beginners at Formby Hall Golf Resort

Registration Fee: £110.00Includes a three-course dinner, transportation, enter-tainment and a one-night stay at the Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa with breakfast.

For golfers: The registration fee includes green fees, use of the driving range, drinks and a sandwich on the course, and a gift-bag.

For beginners: The registration fee includes equipment hire, a two-and-a-half-hour lesson with a professional in-structor and time on the driving range.

Spots are limited, so contact us as soon as possible at www.a2sea.com/golf to secure your place.

InvITaTIOn

Organizer: Supported by:

30 JUne - 1 JULy 2011

Media Partner

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor






Itinerary






InvITaTIOn


30 JUne - 1 JULy 2011

Media Partner

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor






Itinerary






InvITaTIOn


30 JUne - 1 JULy 2011

Media Partner

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

golf tournament

Join the industry for the 2nd Annual Offshore Wind golf tournament – and carry on networking after the RenewableUK 2011 conference in Liverpool.

meet some of the industry’s key players at dinner on Thursday 30 June. Then join us on the golf course the next day for a round of golf, refreshments and fun. experienced players and beginners are equally welcome

– and the course pro will be on hand to help you get started.

ItInERARy

30 June 16.00 coach leaves from the acc arena in liverpool

30 June 18.00 Pre-tournament dinner and networking at formby hall golf resort

1 July 8.30–14.00 golf tournament and lessons for beginners at formby hall golf resort

fee: £110.00 includes a three-course dinner, transportation, entertainment and a one-night stay at the formby hall golf resort & spa with breakfast.

for golfers: The registration fee includes green fees, use of the driving range, drinks and a sandwich on the course, and a gift bag.

for beginners: The registration fee includes equipment hire, a two-and-a-half-hour lesson with a professional instructor and time on the driving range.

Places are limited, so contact us as soon as possible at www.a2sea.com/golf to secure your place.

organiser: suPPorTed by:

establishing a new tradition isn’t easy, but last year’s first annual offshore wind golf Tournament turned into a who’s who of key industry players – both on and off the greens. organised by a2sea, and sponsored by companies including recharge, repower, mencK, falck nutec, seajacks ltd., and niels winther, the two-day event gave industry leaders a valuable chance to meet,

mingle – and improve their handicap. but more than this, it promoted teamwork, giving the people who’ll be integral to installing northern europe’s offshore wind farms a chance to build lasting relationships. after all, we’ll be working with each other a lot in the coming years.

from the greenest of beginners to Tiger woods wannabes, the tournament offered everyone

tee time, complete with free professional instruction. delicious food, beautiful surroundings and good sportsmanship were the order of the day, and there was also an element of competitive spirit. rainer mohr of repower took home the beginner’s trophy, and he promised to return in 2011 to give the “experienced” golfers a real run

for their money.

talking clean energy

on the greens after Husum wind Power Conference

2010new tournamentGiVes iNdustry Leaders faCe time ON tHe LiNKs

thE WInnIng tEAm in the team competition mr. Alan hogg (GAC Shipping), mr. martin Stegelmann (Broadwind energy) and mr. Per Wriedt (Vattenfall) completed the winning round on the beautiful golf course to take home the trophy.


at our last update, the steel cutting had already begun on sea iNstaLLer. Progress on the new

vessel has been moving rapidly, and we can now confirm that the keel laying will begin on 28 may – more

than a month ahead of schedule. “this is great news,” says Head of Newbuilding, michael Østergaard,

but it’s only part of the story. “we’ve also opened a new facility in Qidong.”

homE foR thE tEAm

some 150 kilometres south of the fabrication site in nantong, the Qidong shipyard has produced several vessels for the offshore wind industry. opened on 13 april, a2sea’s new site office features permanent, modern facilities for the sea insTaller team, and a home to oversee the assembly of what could prove to be one of the industry’s most sophisticated installation vessels.

“The new site office will allow us to maintain our high standard of quality during the building process,” michael Østergaard explains,

“and it will also help to ensure we keep meeting or exceeding scheduled milestones.”

mASSivE jigSAw puzzlE

The steel and other components produced in nantong – including 51 blocks of the four spud cans now in production – will soon be delivered to the Qidong site for assembly. “once we have all the pieces in place, we’ll basically put the sea insTaller together like a giant jigsaw puzzle,” says michael Østergaard.

as a logistical headquarters for sea insTaller’s expert team, the new site in Qidong will be the brain of this building process and will provide a new base for a2sea’s local shipyard operations in the future.

Newbuilding Updates

SEA inStAllEr UpdAtE: nEwbuilding – moRE thAn milEStonES


news round-up

A2SEA joinS thE bRitiSh SAfEty council a2sea already demands a high level of training on the marine side of its operations. however, the bsc (british safety council) has tools that can help us create standardised quality training programmes specific to what we do: lift and install heavy wind turbines at sea.

Trevor arnold, one of a2sea’s uK hseQ officers, became a member of the bsc several years ago, and now he believes that a2sea will also benefit. “bsc courses aren’t dry classroom exercises,” he says. “They’re practical courses in proactive safety.”

The bsc offers a comprehensive suite of health and safety qualifications covering uK and international standards. a2sea’s recent bsc membership represents a positive investment in our people and their know-how that could lead to higher standards across the industry. read more www.a2sea.com/news

A2SEA REvAmpS SAlES oRgAniSAtionin response to the growing maturity of the offshore wind industry, particularly in the uK, a2sea is revamping its sales organisation.

“with our know-how, there are lots of ways we can help each individual customer arrive at the best solution”, says Kaj lindvig, chief sales officer at a2sea. “we need to make sure that our sales staff get the opportunity to tell this story”.

now, with the appointment of lars nedergaard as head of Technical & contract support, sales staff can focus on developing efficient concepts and solutions for our customers, while lars and his team of two engineers deal with the technical and contractual aspects of the offshore wind projects. in addition, ole Jacob wang nielsen, who started in a2sea in service three years ago before moving to business development, has been appointed regional manager in the uK. ole will assume his position from 1 June, and will move to london permanently from the end of august. read more www.a2sea.com/news

upcoming nEw jobS At A2SEAwith so many new, large-scale offshore wind projects in the pipeline, we expect to expand our teams with even more talented people. well-qualified? Passionate about what you do? looking for new challenges in an industry that is going places? contact us. we might have just the job you were looking for.

ribbon cutting at china office

SEA InStALLER as she looks in the shipyard

A 2 S E A – P o w E r E d b y k n o w h o w 19s u m m e r 2 0 1 1 – A 2 S E A N e w s

Anyone can hire a vessel.

Having the right people and knowhow is what makes it a success.

www.a2sea.com

Meet us at

A2SEA A/S

Tel: +45 7592 8211

sales @ a2sea.com

A2SEA gmbh

Tel: +49 (0) 40 4190 7318

salesgmbh @ a2sea.com

A2SEA ltd

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7256 4900

salesuk @ a2sea.com

SEA EnERgy

Current: service work at horns rev i

Available: out of esbjerg, denmark from mid-June 2011

SEA POWER

Current: Temporarily laid up, most of crew on other projects

Available: out of skærbæk, denmark, within 3-4 weeks until april 2012

SEA JACK

Current: ormonde offshore wind farm installing turbines

Available: from Q3 2011

SEA WORKER

Current: london array offshore wind farm installing foundations.

Available: from July-september 2013

AVAiLABiLity of A2SEA VeSSeLS

Documents

A2SEANews Summer 2011