41 MARCH 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Foundations Mark a Milestone for Dogger Bank Wind Farm Adapted from Information by doggerbank.com and SSE Renewables Dogger Bank Wind Farm marked a significant milestone with installation of the first foundations for its 277 turbines. The foundations feature a unique split-level transition piece, as well as the world’s largest 26-foot flange - or projecting flat rim - to support the turbine towers. The project, a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%), and Eni Plenitude (20%), will generate 3.6 GW (gigawatts) of clean green energy - enough to power 6 million homes in the United Kindom once complete. Located more than 80 miles off the North East coast in England, the project is comprised of three offshore wind farm sites in the North Sea. The recent installation included the first monopile and transition piece. “This is a really important milestone for the project as it marks the commencement of our campaign to install . . . turbine foundations across the three phases of what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm,” said Paul Cooley, director of offshore wind for SSE Renewables. The foundations, designed by UK-based Wood Thilsted, measure about 236 feet in length and weigh 1165 tons on average. Monopiles and transition pieces will be loaded onto installation vessels in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and transferred out to the offshore wind farm site. Using dynamic positioning technology, vessels will pinpoint the installation site. A monopile will then be upended, transferred to a pile gripper, and driven into the seabed with a hammer. A guidance system will align installation of the flanges, which will act as a connection for the transition piece to be installed on the monopile. The foundations require 152 giant bolts to secure them before a cover is inserted on top of the transition piece to keep it watertight. With installation deeper than 100 feet below the water’s surface, the foundations have been optimized to tackle the North Sea’s high waves. They will provide a solid and stable base for the scale of GE Renewable Energy’s groundbreaking HaliadeX turbines, scheduled for installation in 2023. ENV Turbines will be installed on each foundation.
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