Wikinger Wind Farm Marks Offshore Milestone with Precise Pile Installation
A significant development in offshore wind energy has occurred with the installation of foundations at the Wikinger offshore wind farm. Our websiteForce (OWF), a joint venture between Boskalis and Volker Stevin International, is using a specialized Subsea Pre-Piling Template (PPT) for this purpose. However, identifying the specific company that supplied this template has proven challenging due to limited information available.
LDD, in collaboration with Acteon Group's UTEC and MENCK, delivered the PPT to OWF. LDD produced the detailed design, while Volker Staal en Funderingen B.V. in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, manufactured it. The PPT, equipped with a computer-controlled subsea hydraulic system, allows for precise adjustment of pile position and verticality to within +/-50 mm and 0.5 degree installation tolerances. The first foundations were installed at the Wikinger site at the end of April, with more jackets ready to leave Bladt Industries' Lindø Facility in Denmark. OWF has contracted MENCK to provide a service package, including the supply of two MHU1200S hydraulic hammers to drive the jacket piles to depth. LDD was responsible for the design, supply, installation, and commissioning of the hydraulic, survey, and control systems onto the PPT, with the survey system designed and supplied by UTEC. Noise mitigation measures, such as a 'Small Bubble Curtain' system and a HydroSound Damper (HSD) system, were implemented to meet German noise emissions standards and environmental commitments. The PPT's metrology system provides real-time survey data on its position, orientation, pile location, verticality, and depth monitoring.
Despite initial difficulties in identifying the specific supplier of the Subsea Pre-Piling Template, the successful installation of foundations at the Wikinger offshore wind farm marks a significant milestone in offshore wind energy production. The collaboration between LDD, MENCK, and OWF has resulted in a state-of-the-art PPT that not only ensures precise pile installation but also adheres to stringent environmental standards.
