Wind turbine parts arrive in Cromarty Firth ahead of Moray East installation
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MASSIVE new wind turbine parts have arrived in the waters of the Cromarty Firth ahead of their installation in the 950MW Moray East wind farm.
Global Energy's facilities at the Port of Nigg saw the arrival of the heavy transport vessel OHT Hawk today, carrying platform substructures for nine wind turbines and one offshore substation.
These each stand some 75m-80m high and are destined for use by Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) Ltd in the Moray Firth.
The jackets are being offloaded at Nigg, where they will undergo the final preparations before they are loaded onto the jack-up vessel Seajacks Scylla for installation more than 25km from shore.
The Port of Nigg and the Port of Cromarty Firth are providing the onshore facilities from which the offshore installation work will be undertaken.
A total of 103 jackets are being installed in the Moray Firth to provide foundations for 100 offshore wind generators and three substation platforms.
To get the electricity to customers onshore, three subsea cables will be laid which will connect the substations with underground onshore cables at Inverboyndie, and then on to the new substation under construction south of New Deer.
When complete the facility will be capable of meeting the needs of more than 950,000 homes.
Moray East project director Marcel Sunier said: “The arrival of these impressive structures at the Port of Nigg gives a striking understanding of the scale of the project which is being undertaken in the Moray Firth and the benefit this brings to the community.
“Because we are able to work at such large scale we have been able to make significant cost reductions in the cost of produced power. The Moray East offshore wind farm will make a major contribution to the post-Covid recovery, producing plentiful low-cost, low carbon power."
Global Energy Group chairman Roy MacGregor said: “It is our continuing desire to make the Port of Nigg an energy hub.
"The Port of Nigg is an ideal staging port for the Moray East project due to its deep-water access and the high ground-bearing strength of its quay and storage areas. Great skill is required to safely manoeuvre the massive structures off of the heavy lift vessel and into the storage areas.
"Our strategy over the last few years has been in energy transition within a changing and highly competitive marketplace. We have the diverse mix of facilities, people and supply and support companies to meet the requirements of our clients across energy markets.”
Bob Buskie, chief executive of the Port of Cromarty Firth, said: “We are delighted that the facilities in the Cromarty Firth are playing such an integral role in the Moray East project.
"Over £110m has been invested in the area to ensure the Cromarty Firth’s infrastructure, both at Nigg and Invergordon, is at the forefront of all the opportunities presented in the Scottish offshore wind sector and in turn generating sustainable jobs throughout the region.
“We are excited to work alongside Global Energy Group and extend a warm welcome to the Hawk following its arrival into the Cromarty Firth.”
Work to install the pin piles in the seabed began in May last year, using the jack-up installation vessel Apollo which worked out of Cromarty Firth Port Authority’s onshore handling facilities at Invergordon.
