wind farm installation vessel

World’s largest wind farm installer delivered

Built for Great Yarmouth, U.K., based Seajacks International, the jack-up vessel is based on the Gusto MSC NG14000X design and has more than 8,000 metric tons of available variable deck load. Equipped with a 1,540-metric-ton Huisman leg-encircling crane and a usable deck space in excess of 5,000 sq m the unit is outfitted with 105-m legs with the ability to install components in water depths to 65 m in North Sea conditions.

The rig is capable of meeting the installation needs of jumbo-monopiles, jackets, and turbines of future wind farms in deeper waters farther from shore.

“Industry growth depends on innovation and new designs,” says ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. “As a technology leader, ABS is pleased to work with Seajacks as it develops and launches vessels with increasingly greater capabilities.”

Seajacks CEO Blair Ainslie credits the strong working relationship among the project participants for the successful delivery of this unit.

“The cooperation among Seajacks, ABS and SHI was vital to the success of this newbuild effort,” he says. “As we bring new designs to the market, we rely on partners who are willing to take on projects like this one that break new ground in the industry.”

Since 2009, Seajacks has invested in five self-propelled jackup units, all of which have been classed by ABS. The Seajacks Scylla is a milestone for the company as it is considered to be the most technically advanced installation vessel in the market.

The Seajacks Scylla complies with ABS classification requirements for self-propelled jack-up units, including DPS-2 for dynamic positioning capability; ACCU, which applies to automatic centralized control unmanned units; and CRC for crane register certificate.

In early December, Seajacks Scylla will begin her journey from South Korea to Europe on-board the heavy load carrier vessel, HLV Osprey, and is expected to arrive in Rotterdam around the end of January. Seajacks operations teams will then prepare the vessel for her first project next spring.