Ocean Winds takes delivery of first UK fabricated offshore wind topsides in several years
The load out of the two Offshore Transformer Modules (OTM®) marks the completion of the latest Ocean Winds contract for the Smulders yard on the Tyne at Wallsend. The OTMs have been delivered under a consortium of Siemens Energy and Iemants. Iemants is a subsidiary of Smulders, alongside Smulders Projects UK.
Both OTMs have been fabricated at the yard with Siemens Energy managing the fit out of their equipment onto the OTMs from their Manchester base. The load out onto transport barges has been safely completed and one barge has departed for Scotland and the installation site at the Moray West offshore wind farm. The second OTM is alongside the quay ready to be transported north.
Today (Wednesday, 1st November) the partners celebrated the successful completion and load out of the OTMs with Lord Lennie, Labour’s Shadow Energy Security & Net Zero spokesperson.
The successful delivery of the Moray West OTMs marks the second major offshore wind farm where Ocean Winds has successfully worked with Siemens Energy and Smulders to support UK content, following earlier contracts for the 950MW Moray East project. Those contracts included foundations fabrication work by Smulders at the Smulders Projects UK Wallsend yard and the delivery of the onshore substation by Siemens Energy.
Moray West is part of the 6GW portfolio being developed by Ocean Winds, a 50/50 joint venture owned by EDPR and ENGIE, dedicated to offshore wind. Located in the Moray Firth in the north east of Scotland, the nearly 900 MW offshore wind farm is currently under construction and set to begin generating power from 2024.
Pete Geddes, Moray West Project Director said: “I am proud that the collective efforts of the Moray West team, working closely and safely with our suppliers, has played a key role in maintaining the pipeline of projects through the Smulders yard here in Wallsend, as well as strengthening the capabilities of the Siemens Energy team around their proven OTM technology. This is a key milestone on our construction journey to ensure the transmission assets are fully commissioned in time for planned first power from the wind turbines next year. The competence of our consortium partners, Siemens Energy and Iemants, allowed us to support this expansion of UK supply chain capability which has been a winning solution for all of us. We look forward now to the installation and commissioning of the OTMs as our offshore installation campaign ramps up.”
Mark Pilling, Vice President of Grid Solutions Europe at Siemens Energy, said:
“Today is a key milestone in the construction of the Moray West Offshore Wind Farm and is testament to our great partnership with Ocean Winds and Smulders. Together our teams are working on one of the UK’s largest offshore wind projects, ensuring renewable energy powers the electricity grid. Once complete Moray West will provide 1.3m UK homes with clean energy, another significant step on the UK’s energy transition journey towards a net zero future.”
Marinus van de Lagemaat, Senior Project Manager for Smulders, said:
“The decision to expand our offshore substation topside fabrication to the Smulders Projects UK yard in Wallsend has been a success and we are pleased that Ocean Winds has supported our UK facility by awarding us this project. Many big investments have been made in the yard and in the people to facilitate a diversity of projects of complex steel structures. The long-term collaboration with Siemens Energy has created proven products and is expected to continue in the future. I am very proud to be part of a team of passionate and skilled local craftsmen that have made this project a success..”
