Dong Hires Seajacks Scylla for Walney Extension

Seajacks UK has entered into contract with DONG Energy for the transportation and installation of all 87 wind turbines at the Walney Extension offshore wind farm.

The Walney Extension offshore wind farm is made up of two 330MW phases and located in the Irish Sea, around 19km from the UK’s West Coast.

Seajacks’ largest wind farm installation vessel, Seajacks Scylla, will be deployed on the project. The Scylla is currently under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries at the Geoje shipyard in South Korea. The vessel will mobilise in early summer 2017, installation will consist of 40 of the MHI Vestas V164 8.2MW and then a further 47 Siemens SWP-7.0-154 units.

Blair Ainslie, CEO for Seajacks UK, said: “We are delighted to provide our specialist purpose-built offshore installation vessel Scylla to DONG Energy for the Walney Extension offshore wind farm. DONG Energy are a world leader in the offshore wind market and committed to bringing down the cost of offshore wind power. Installing larger capacity turbines in high wind locations is absolutely key to achieving this goal. With Scylla, DONG Energy have chartered the largest and most capable vessel in the market which will enable them to transport and install the largest most powerful of new turbines at the deepest and most demanding of high wind locations.”

Peter Rom Poulsen, DONG Energy’s EPC Director for the Walney Extension Project, added: “The contract is subject to our final investment decision, however we are very happy to have taken this step with another major contract. Seajacks has proved that they are a strong partner, and we have a shared view on the importance of safety and quality. Both companies are also committed to develop the local supply chain and reduce the cost of electricity from offshore wind.”

The plan is to fit the Scylla with an adaptable blade rack and seafastening solution which is quickly interchangeable between the MHI Vestas and the Siemens turbines. This will reduce mobilisation costs not only on the Walney Extension project but also on future turbine installation projects after 2018. Walney Extension has already been awarded a contract for difference under the EMR FID-enabling regime and, in November 2014, the project was granted consent by the British Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.