The first of two offshore converter station topsides, intended for the Hornsea 3 wind farm, has set sail from Map Ta Phut, Thailand, on course for Europe.
Prior to sailaway, the load and the voyage was blessed by Buddhist monks in a special ceremony.
The gargantuan structure was completed by Ørsted’s Thailand-based team in partnership with Aibel and Hitachi Energy. Once installed it will rise 70m above sea level or 1.2 times the height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The topside needed 38 special self propelled motor transporters – or SMPTs – with 380 axles under the support frames to move it onto the vessel in preparation for the voyage.
It is now on a 55 day journey of more than 13,000 nautical miles to Haugesund, Norway for the installation and commissioning of high voltage equipment so it is ready for use offshore.
The structure will then travel on the aptly-named Heavy Transportation Vessel BigLift Barentsz.
Luke Bridgman, managing director, Hornsea 3, said: “The sailaway of the first of our Hornsea 3 offshore converter station topsides is an important milestone. It marks the culmination of three years of hard work by our teams in Europe and Thailand, and the start of our next phase in delivering the world’s single biggest offshore wind farm.
“This huge structure is an impressive piece of engineering, which so far has been completed safely, efficiently, on time and on budget. It’s a testament to the skill of our workers, as well as a visual aid demonstrating the complexity and scale of Hornsea 3.”
Ørsted signed the contract to provide offshore converter stations with Aibel and Hitachi Energy in 2022. .
Main image: The first of two Ørsted offshore converter station topsides leaving from the yard in Thailand. Credit: Aibel
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