The project
Offshore lifting and assembly of 5 floating wind turbines.
Key facts and figures
Project impact
The project is an important step forward for offshore wind technology with a positive worldwide impact on wind power. It opens up potential new markets for producing renewable energy in areas that are inaccessible and windy, and thus with high energy yields.
An extraordinary project
“A visionary project whose extraordinary innovative engineering can only be surpassed by its future importance for the United Kingdom's energy production” (quote from the 2018 IStructE award presentation).
In the offshore renewable energy industry, Saipem successfully installed the first floating wind farm in the world for Equinor. The Hywind Scotland project required innovative solutions to allow the lifting and installation of a massive, fully assembled 6 MW wind turbine generator onto a floating structure anchored to the seabed.
The operations were made possible by a proprietary stability frame system developed and manufactured by Saipem specifically for lifting operations, which won the prestigious 2018 IStructE Award in the Extreme Conditions category.
Technological challenges
The installation of a fully assembled wind turbine generator (WTG) on a floating substructure.
New solutions for floating wind power are currently under development, along with a concept developed by Moss Maritime for a floating offshore solar farm, for which a patent application has been filed.
Assets and people
Sonsub Headquarters (Aberdeen).
The Saipem 7000 is one of the largest marine vessels in the world.
This giant is 200 metres long and has 12 propellers, 12 engines that generate enough power to light up a town of 5,000 people, 2 cranes that can lift 14,000 tons and a system for laying underwater pipelines at depths of over 2,000 metres.
Key takeaways
Saipem’s successful entry into the wind power sector with the HyWind project is proof of its solid vision of the future and its experience, expertise and high engineering potential, which can make it a leader in the renewable energy industry.
