Scottish offshore wind farm to provide renewable energy for 375,000 homes
(WO) – The Neart Na Gaoithe (NNG) offshore wind farm will provide renewable energy for 375.000 Scottish homes, equivalent to 400,000 tons of CO2 per year, thanks to its production capacity of 450 MW. This offshore wind farm, which will be located 15 km off the coast of Fife, Scotland, covering a surface area of 105 km2, will have 54 turbines manufactured by Siemens Gamesa, and will be operated by EDF Renewables.
As a part of the logistics for the installation, Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental services, played a pivotal role in the loading, unloading and ground transportation of jackets, each weighing approximately 1450 tons.
Saipem, the company responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the wind farm's 54 turbines, carried out the production of the jackets in Asia and these were subsequently transported on heavy transport vessels operated by Cosco to the Wergeland base at Gulen, Norway. Upon arrival, each vessel was loaded with 10 to 14 jackets, and Sarens took charge of the offloading operations and subsequent movements to the storage area for marshaling.
To complete these tasks, Sarens' team used Kamag K24ST SPMTs (Self Propelled Modular Trailers) with 104 axle lines. After assessing the site, 70 hardwood mats were used to distribute the load and address concerns about the pressure on the dock floor.
Once assembled and stored, the jackets were moved to their final offshore location during the summer of 2023. To carry out this task, once again, Sarens used its SPMTs to facilitate the loading of the jackets from storage to the barge at the Saipem facility. Additionally, Sarens delivered mooring and ballast equipment during the load-out onto the barge. This process continued until last October, when the last jacket was transported to the Fife coast. Once there, it was installed at a depth of approximately 40 to 60 m.
Sarens has extensive international experience in the assembly and maintenance of wind farms. It has participated in various installations in France such as Fécamp, Saint Nazaire, Provence Grand Large and in the lifting and transport work for the foundation bases of the new offshore wind farm in Saint Brieuc, located off the Brittany coast. During this project, Sarens successfully transported loads weighing over 1,150 tons. More recently, Sarens has been actively involved in the reception and loading operations of monopiles and transition pieces for 176 turbines for the Coastal Virginia Offshore wind farm.
