The first eight jacket foundations for the Moray East offshore wind project arrived in the Port of Nigg in Scotland at the weekend, delivered by OHT’s heavy transportation vessel Osprey from the UAE.

The transit took 39 days from Lamprell’s site in Hamriyah, UAE, via the Cape of Good Hope on their 12,000 nautical mile journey to the Cromarty Firth.

Moray East is a competitive offshore wind project owned by Engie and EDP Renewables, which was granted consent (1,116 MW) in 2014 by the Scottish Government.

The contract for transportation was awarded last September after several years in close discussions with the project’s foundation EPCI contractor DEME Offshore.

All 48 of the three-legged jackets fabricated in the UAE, averaging more than 1,000 tonnes and up to 80 metres in height, will be transported over the coming months to the Scottish port utilising three of OHT’s largest open deck semi-submersible heavy transportation vessels.

‘It is great to see the foundations arriving safely to port on schedule’ said Egil Ismar, OHT’s Project Manager. ‘The voyage went very well and the close cooperation between all involved parties during planning, loading and transportation has been remarkable’.

Once constructed, the 950 MW Moray East offshore windfarm will generate power at £57.50/MWhr, supplying 40 per cent of Scotland’s electricity and saving 1.7m tonnes of CO2 each year.

Construction on the project started in winter 2018 with commencement of the onshore works and the windfarm is expected to be fully operational in 2022.

Transportation of all jackets is expected to be completed by October 2020.