Houlder to Arm Pacific Orca for Foundation Installation at Rampion

Houlder today reported that it is completing assembly of a second set of 256t hydraulic Pile Restraint Arms, which will ensure foundation piles at the Rampion offshore wind site are kept vertical as they are hammered into the seabed.

The pile-handling arms will be installed on Swire Blue Ocean’s installation vessel Pacific Orca, where they will provide the horizontal restraint required to resist environmental forces acting on the large foundation piles during installation.

As well as designing the 22m x 8m arms, Houlder has redesigned the vessel attachment and is providing a new grillage support structure.

The grillage support structure is to be placed on the main deck at the aft end of the Pacific Orca vessel and is designed to require no underdeck strengthening and intervention. Furthermore, the design enables fast mobilisation and demobilisation of the equipment as a large proportion of assembly and testing is performed on the quayside prior to vessel arrival, the company said.

Work in Tyneside continues as the arms are installed, said Houlder, which is managing the full installation and commissioning service as part of Rampion Offshore Wind’s equipment lease agreement.