The system will be installed on Sapura Energy’s Heavy Lift vessel to support the installation of Yunlin’s 80 monopile foundations
Image: A 3D Render of the pile gripper being designed by Osbit for Sapura Energy, to be used in the construction of Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm. Photo: courtesy of Osbit.
Malaysian-based global energy services provider Sapura Energy has selected Osbit to build an offshore wind turbine pile gripper system for Yunlin offshore wind farm project in Taiwan.
Under the contract, Osbit will design and build the offshore wind turbine pile gripper system, which will initially be used to support the development of the 640MW wind farm which is being developed by WPD.
Located 8km off the coast of Yunlin County, Taiwan, the wind farm will be equipped with 80 SG 8.0-167 DD offshore wind turbines that are supplied by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE).
Osbit said that the system will be installed on Sapura Energy’s Heavy Lift vessel to support the installation of Yunlin’s 80 monopile foundations, which are each 8m in diameter.
Designed to enable monopile installation from a moored floating vessel, the pile gripper system is expected to maintain the vertical position of the monopile foundations.
The gripper is equipped with control cabin design and an integrated near pile noise mitigation system
Osbit managing director Brendon Hayward said: “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.”
The offshore equipment supplier said that its system design is adaptable and accommodates monopiles between 6.5 and 10m in diameter, with push forces up to 300 tonnes.
The gripper is equipped with Osbit’s modular and configurable technology, which are optimised to suit Sapura Energy’s needs and also includes a control cabin design and an integrated near pile noise mitigation system designed to minimise subsea noise during piling activities.
The Yunlin contract expands Osbit’s existing footprint in the east Asian offshore wind market. The company has already supported the Fukushima FORWARD and Binhai offshore wind farms.