The first of Hornsea 3’s two offshore converter stations topsides is on its way to Europe following the sailaway from Map Ta Phut, Thailand.
Completed by Ørsted’s Thailand-based team in partnership with Aibel and Hitachi Energy, the structure once installed will rise 70 m above sea level. The topside needed 38 special self-propelled motor transporters (SMPTs) with 380 axels under the support frames to move it onto the vessel in preparation for the voyage.
It is now on a 55 day journey of more than 13 000 nautical miles to Haugesund, Norway, for the installation and commissioning of high voltage equipment so it is ready for use offshore. The structure will travel on the aptly-named heavy transportation vessel, BigLift Barentsz.
Prior to sailaway, the load and the voyage was blessed by Buddhist monks in a special ceremony.
Luke Bridgman, Managing Director, Hornsea 3, said: “The sailaway of the first of our Hornsea 3 offshore converter station topsides is an important milestone. It marks the culmination of three years of hard work by our teams in Europe and Thailand, and the start of our next phase in delivering the world’s single biggest offshore wind farm.
“This huge structure is an impressive piece of engineering, which so far has been completed safely, efficiently, on time, and on budget. It’s a testament to the skill of our workers, as well as a visual aid demonstrating the complexity and scale of Hornsea 3.”
Ørsted signed the contract to provide offshore converter stations with Aibel and Hitachi Energy in 2022.
For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.
Energy Global’s Spring 2025 issue
The first issue of 2025 is here! The Spring issue of Energy Global starts with a guest comment by Tim Reid from UK Export Finance about expanding operations overseas before a regional report from Aurora Energy Research no the effect of negative electricity prices in Europe. Other interesting topics covered in the issue include electrical infrastructure, sit surveys & mapping, developments in solar, and much more. Featuring contributions from key industry leaders such as EM&I, DeterTech, and Global Underwater Hub, among others, don’t miss the valuable insights available in the Spring 2025 issue.
Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/08042025/first-hornsea-3-offshore-converter-station-sets-sail-for-europe/
#Hornsea #offshore #converter #station #sets #sail #Europe