Northumberland based, Osbit, the offshore equipment supplier, has been awarded a contract to design and build an offshore wind turbine pile gripper system, by leading Malaysian-based global energy services provider Sapura Energy.
The pile gripper will initially be used to support the development of WPD’s Yunlin offshore wind farm, the first large offshore wind farm to be constructed in the rapidly developing Taiwanese market.
The system will be installed on Sapura Energy’s Heavy Lift vessel and will support the installation of the wind farm’s 80 monopile foundations, which are each 8-metres in diameter.
The Osbit-supplied system is designed to facilitate monopile installation from a moored floating vessel. The pile gripper will maintain the position and verticality of monopile foundations and be deployed and stowed using a deck rail skidding system.
To futureproof the system for the evolving wind market, Osbit’s design is highly adaptable, accommodating monopiles between 6.5 and 10 metres in diameter, with push forces up to 300 tonnes.
The pile gripper features many elements of Osbit’s proven modular and configurable technology, which are optimised to suit Sapura Energy’s needs. The system includes a market-leading control cabin design and an integrated Near Pile Noise Mitigation System, which lessens subsea noise associated with piling activities.
Osbit equipment has already supported the Fukushima FORWARD and Binhai offshore wind farms. Yunlin supply contract, which is Osbit’s first project for Sapura Energy, expands the company’s existing footprint in the east Asian offshore wind market. The project is now underway at Osbit’s Northumberland headquarters and will be delivered to meet a 30-week lead-time.
Osbit Managing Director Brendon Hayward, comments: “We are delighted to add Sapura Energy to our client-base and to expand Osbit’s footprint in the emergent East Asian offshore wind market. We are now applying our offshore handling expertise and closely collaborating with Sapura Energy to deliver a high-quality solution On Spec, to Budget and In Time.”
