The crews of SEA JACK and SEA WORKER recently celebrated the completion of A2SEA’s involvement in the London Array Offshore Wind Farm, the world’s first 1GW offshore wind farm. A2SEA was contracted to install monopiles, transition pieces and 70 Siemens 3.6 MW turbines for Phase 1 of the 175-turbine site.

Located in the outer Thames Estuary between the Kent and Essex coasts, the London Array site covers a massive 230 square kilometres. To be constructed in two phases, when completed the London Array Offshore Wind Farm will eventually provide enough energy to supply 750,000 homes – about a quarter of the households in Greater London.

During the first phase, which involved the installation of 175 turbines, A2SEA’s SEA JACK installed 23 anode cages and 23 transition pieces, while the SEA WORKER installed 55 monopiles and transition pieces and 70 of the Siemens turbines. With its 73-metre long legs, the SEA WORKER can work at depths of up to 40 metres and its crane can support weights of up to 400 tonnes, which made it ideal for the more challenging installation work.

Celebrations in order

After the 70th turbine was installed, the two vessels returned to the Port of Esbjerg to demobilise before preparing for their next projects. A job well done, the crews of both vessels found the time to celebrate with a night out in Esbjerg and share a massive cake.

According to Torben Vinkel, Master of the SEA WORKER, about 25 people took part in the celebration dinner. “It’s always good to get back to shore and celebrate the end of a project. But with a busy day ahead and half the crew already on holiday, it was a reasonably early night,” adds Torben.

The second phase of the London Array is currently awaiting final approval.

 

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