Vestas’ marshalling underway at Able Seaton Port for Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm

Image “Courtesy of Vestas Wind Systems A/S”

Marshalling operations for wind turbine parts are underway at Able Seaton Port in Hartlepool for what will be Scotland’s biggest, and the world’s deepest fixed bottom offshore wind farm – Seagreen.

In the last few weeks, SSE Renewables and joint-venture partner TotalEnergies announced that the installation of turbine foundations has commenced at the 1.1GW project site, 27km off the Angus coast in Scotland.

It can now be revealed that the delivery of parts for the project’s Vestas V164-10.0 MW turbines, including blades, nacelles, and the supporting towers to Vestas’ base in the North-East of England is well underway.

When in full production, the Able Seaton site will support approximately 100 full time employees, including technicians for the installation of the wind turbines, crane personnel, supervisors, quality inspectors, warehouse workers and other staff.

The campaign to fit the turbine parts at the £3bn Seagreen project is expected to commence in late 2021 and will run in tandem with the continuing campaign to fit the turbine foundations, also known as jackets.

First power is expected in spring 2022 with the 114-turbine wind farm expected to be fully commissioned in 2023.

Earlier this year, Vestas announced that 87% of the V164 blades for the 1,075 MW Seagreen project would be manufactured in the UK. Of the 114 blade sets to be installed at the Seagreen project, 99 blade sets, or 297 blades in total, are being produced domestically. Production for the Seagreen project is taking place at the company’s Isle of Wight facility.

Allan Birk Wisby, Project Director at Vestas said: 

“Our collaboration with Able UK at the Able Seaton Port in Hartlepool for the pre-assembly scope of the Seagreen project has been truly exceptional. For a project the size of Seagreen, with technology the size of our V164-10.0 MW turbines, the pre-assembly port selection is of utmost importance and Vestas’ requirements have been well-met by Able Seaton Port. Now, Vestas is committed to delivering the Seagreen project along with SSE Renewables and TotalEnergies safely and on schedule by 2023.”

John Hill, Project Director of the Seagreen Project said: 

“With work on the Seagreen project now well underway, it is fantastic for us to be looking forward to a point when we will be installing the 114 turbines as site.

“It is great to see the project will benefit the UK supply chain, not only at Able Seaton but in the Isle of Wight where 87% of the blades from Seagreen have been manufactured.

“I look forward to seeing the first turbine installed at site in the near future.”

The Seagreen project is Scotland’s largest renewable energy project, and once installed, it will provide around 5,000 GWh annually of renewable energy, supplying the energy needs of around 1.6 million homes and saving around 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Vestas and SSE Renewables’ collaboration extends to Scotland’s most powerful onshore wind project, the 443 MW Viking Wind Farm currently being constructed in Shetland, as well as the 30MW Lenalea Wind Farm in Co. Donegal, Ireland, which entered construction in May 2021.

Able UK’s Executive Chairman Peter Stephenson, said:

“We have enjoyed a long and constructive relationship with Vestas culminating in today’s announcement – which, of course, is a further vote of confidence in the UK, ourselves and the Teesside supply chain. Our sustained investment means we can provide a bespoke and tailor-made solution for the Seagreen project.

“This contract builds further on our growing offshore wind portfolio which began with the Hornsea One foundations (2018/19) and, more recently (September), saw the completion of the installation of the Triton Knoll turbines, also with Vestas.”