Swire Blue Ocean (SBO) has started offshore operations under a long-term agreement from June 2019 to February 2021, signed on Wednesday 29th May 2019 with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE). This contract will assist SGRE in meeting the challenges of servicing offshore wind turbines and secures competitive lead times.
The maintenance and service agreement covers wind farms located in the North, Baltic and Irish Seas. Mobilisation of the Pacific Orca started on 24th June and was followed by the first operations on Meerwind Süd/Ost, off the north-western coast of Germany, and Galloper Offshore Wind Farm, off the south-eastern coast of England, where wind turbines were originally installed by SBO. Visits to Sandbank Offshore Wind Farm and three other wind farms are already scheduled, with many additional sites following.
Meeting all kind of challenges
Pacific Orca was a natural choice for overcoming the main challenge of servicing all types of wind turbines (G4, D7 and Adwen) without any need for vessel modification. With its large cargo area and high capacity deck loading, Pacific Orca offers considerable flexibility and availability. Mobilisation time can be reduced from 12 hours to three or four hours. The vessel is fitted with six legs to increase jacked stability and a high redundancy diesel electric power system to reduce the risk of breakdown. The long-term frame agreement supports SGRE focus on safety, efficiency and reliability, while offering a significantly improved operating weather window. As a result, customer costs are reduced.
Adwen Rotor Star will be positioned on this Adwen Rotor Stack, placed aft of the vessel.
Blade test lift for two types of Siemens blades, B52 and B75, to test the Janett and the Yoke.
Drawing on experience
SBO brings along an installation track record covering a variety of wind turbine models. The Company possesses assets with strong operational capabilities and an organisation which is highly adaptable to varying schedules. “We all, both at the office and on board, must be very structured and focused to be able to respond quickly and safely to the customer’s needs, says Head of Projects, Ulf Gjendal. We are working on a short notice; in order to deliver safe and reliable service, we strive to be as flexible as possible and draw on our past experiences.”
Chief Executive Officer, Swire Blue Ocean A/S Mikkel Gleerup says: “This is our largest maintenance and service venture to date, and we are delighted to partner with SGRE on this new project. We are building on extensive experience in wind turbines installation and are continuously reinforcing our expertise in maintenance and service to better respond to our customer’s needs. We are very confident for the future and are more than ever prepared for further development within the O&M market.”
Ulf Gjendal, Head of Projects at Swire Blue Ocean
Part of the sea fastening used on the Beatrice Wind Farm project is being reused on this project. Since the Beatrice components are the largest expected during the service agreement, it was possible to slightly modify and reposition the sea fastening, enabling the embarkation of both bigger and smaller parts. It is not always possible to reuse sea fastening from a previous project, but doing so enables cost savings, especially as most sea fastening is produced with an operational life of around 15 years. Another step towards sustainable operations.
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Photo (left): The blade rack from the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm project has been modified to fit different types of Siemens blades for this service and maintenance project.
René C. Wigmans, Head of Maritime and Aviation Solutions, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE):
We are very happy to welcome Swire Blue Ocean A/S as one of our vessel suppliers for the O&M Service phase at SGRE. Until now, SGRE and SBO have been successfully working together during the installation of new offshore turbines and wind power plants – and we will continue the good cooperation.
By partnering with SBO, SGRE is better able to respond to customer demand for installations, unscheduled maintenance and big overhaul tasks.
René C. Wigmans, Head of Maritime and Aviation Solutions, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE)
Business queries, please contact:
Henrik Holm, Sales Manager, O&M, Swire Blue Ocean A/S
Email: henrik.holm@swireblueocean.com
Tel: +45 26 89 88 87