MacGregor to supply key system for giant offshore wind installation vessel

Written by Nick Blenkey
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Alfa Lift, will feature a 3,000 ton main crane, a 10,000+ sq.m “smart deck” capable of carrying and installing up to 14 XL monopiles per voyage and will be able to fully submerge the main deck to a depth of 14.66 meter

MacGregor has booked its largest ever single-vessel contract. It covers the supply of a system critical to the mission of what will be the world’s largest custom-built offshore wind foundation installation vessel.

Being built for Oslo-headquartered Offshore Heavy Transport SA (OHT) at the China Merchants Heavy Industry shipyard in Jiangsu, China, the vessel, the Alfa Lift, will feature a 3,000-ton main crane, a 10,000-plus-square-meter “smart deck” capable of carrying and installing up to 14 XL monopiles per voyage and will be able to fully submerge the main deck to a depth of 14.66 meters.

MacGregor’s scope of supply includes the engineering, procurement and construction of the monopile lifting, skidding and transfer system, which is an integral part of the installation process, undertaken by employing an upending tool and motion compensated gripper frame.

The motion-compensated gripper frame will be closely interfaced with the vessel’s dynamic positioning and control system in an integrated solution developed jointly by MacGregor and Kongsberg Maritime. Both companies believe that the application of automated handling solutions will increase the safety, productivity and consistency of the installation operation, resulting in substantial cost and time savings.

Alfa Lift is scheduled for delivery in 2021.

“The monopile installation solution is the result of applying our collective capabilities and experience to solve market challenges and achieve optimum operability for our vessels,” says Torgeir E. Ramstad, OHT’s CEO. “Whenever we ask MacGregor to solve operational challenges in the demanding marine environment they, together with partners, demonstrate excellent technical understanding and respond quickly. We are extremely pleased to be working together on the exciting Alfa Lift project.”

“Working closely with MacGregor, we have developed an innovative solution that improves the efficiency of foundation installation vessels by replacing lengthy, temporary mooring processes with full DP in combination with an integrated guidance system and hydraulic frame mechanism,” says Gunnar Thorsen, SVP Business Concepts, Kongsberg Maritime AS.

“MacGregor is delighted to be selected to supply the mission-critical work system for the Alfa Lift vessel,” says Leif Byström, Head of the Offshore Solutions Division. “We have worked intensively over several years to develop a state-of-the-art solution that provides the most precise installation method for all monopile ranges. We appreciate and highly value the hard work and great cooperation between the OHT, Kongsberg Maritime and MacGregor teams that have made this possible.”

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