Wells Harbour dredging Offshore substations Foundation progress on schedule underway in Hartlepool fabrication Work has started on the two 1000 tonne Each of the Shoal The dredging project at Wells-next-the-Sea is on schedule, pontoons will be installed. These services include water, offshore substations being produced for substations will be 30.5 metres long, with more than half the work completed. electricity and lighting. the wind farm. 17.7 metres wide and 16 metres high. starts Offshore construction specialist Heerema They are scheduled to sail out Activity in the outer jetty area at Buxton’s Bight was The capital dredging work to deepen the channel started just The first monopile foundation of the 90 completed in mid-December. Dredging work progressed after Christmas. The deepened channel and new facilities should will fabricate and load out two substation from Hartlepool in the last quarter on to the access and main channels at the end of the month. be fully operational by the end of March. platform topsides from its yard in Hartlepool, of 2010 with installation at the wind in total will be installed offshore around County Durham, following the award of a farm due for early 2011. May this year. Preparatory piling, and the jetty and pontoon installation, For further information about the Wells Harbour channel-deepening contract by AREVA T&D UK. is due to begin early this year. This work is expected project, please contact the project owners, Wells Harbour They will be installed by Norwegian These giant structures, as well as the to take just over a month when the services for the Commissioners at [email protected]. By securing this latest contract, Heerema offshore support company Master transition pieces which join the turbines will safeguard employment at its Hartlepool Marine utilising the construction vessel facility, which employs around 1000 Service Jack 2 that is currently under to them, are now being fabricated by people, with additional supply-chain jobs manufacture at the Drydocks World tubular structure specialist, the Sif created for other companies in the North yard in Indonesia. Group, at their plant in Roermond, East region and further afield. the Netherlands, on a sub-contract to the main foundation contractor, MT Højgaard. Once completed, the monopiles will be transported to Kats, Vlissingen, Netherlands for storage before installation. The transition pieces will be transported to Belgium and the Hoboeken plant of offshore foundation pioneer, Smulders for outfitting.

Each foundation is made to individual specifications and will be between 50 and 55 metres long, with a 5m diameter and weighing from 400 to 600 tonnes.

Contractor MT Højgaard will use the “Svanen”, its purpose made self

Computer-generated image of one of the wind farm’s two offshore substations. powered heavy-duty floating crane, to drive foundation piles 32-36 metres An aerial of the dredger “Kari Hege” in operation at Wells. Photo courtesy of Mike Page. into the seabed and mount the Onshore substation site yellow-painted transition pieces on top, in preparation for the installation Establishing the marine operations of the two substations and 88 wind preparation complete turbines in 2011. Planning for the establishment of the April. Prior to that, a Marine & Logistics be issued to vessel owners and brokers Sheringham Shoal marine operational Co-ordinator will be required and a shortly. A decision on whether the same After six months of work, the site preparation The concrete work for the gas organisation, based in Wells-next-the- job vacancy for this position will be vessels will be used for operation and for the Salle substation is now complete insulated switchgear building was Sea, is now well underway. advertised shortly in local publications, maintenance will be finalised during the and building works are progressing. finished late last year, as well as the and on www.scira.co.uk. tender process. Companies tendering installation of the reactor bunds and The key role for this organisation will be for the vessels contract will need to be foundations. The structural steel was to provide vessels for personnel transfer Activity out of the Wells-next-the-Sea approved, as a minimum, by Achilles delivered to site in December and during the wind farm construction base will continue to increase as work (www.achilles.com), or similar supplier construction is underway. process, which will begin by May this on the wind farm site intensifies, peaking qualification systems, which will include year, and then for the longer-term around mid-2011. From that time the all relevant requirements such as ISO Once the substation building is operation and maintenance phase. harbour traffic will gradually stabilise until 9001-2000 certification. only those vessels needed for operation completed, and the internal cladding All the procedures in relation to the and maintenance will be active. Expressions of interest for the vessel and other works finalised, the personnel transfer operations are tender can also be registered via the final steps will be the installation scheduled to be in place ready for the A tender to supply those vessels website. of the cables and equipment. first vessel to leave the harbour around required for the construction phase will The substation is on schedule for Floating crane, the “Svanen” will install the The substation at Salle starting to take shape. completion by October. foundations.

Windfarm Newsletter AW 12.09.indd 1-2 03/01/2010 19:15 Helping fund community Sheringham Shoal Issue 4 - January 2010 activities in Wells-next-the-Sea by Scira Offshore Energy NEWSLETTER The Sheringham Shoal project has recently The project also provided some funding supported two very different community- to the organisers of the annual Wells related activities in Wells-next-the-Sea. Christmas event, to help make the procession a reality and enable the lantern Four officers from the Wells Neighbourhood workshops, which involved two full days Announcing Fund for Policing Team were able to attend a one- work by parents, children and helpers, to day Standards of Training, Certification produce magnificent lanterns using willow and Watchkeeping (STCW) marine survival and tissue paper. community initiatives course at Lowestoft College with funding provided by the project. A candle was placed inside each lantern and The owners of the Sheringham Shoal Offshore lit just before the procession from the Church Wind Farm are pleased to announce the Police Constable Jason Pegden said they to meet Father Christmas at Wells Quay. establishment of the Sheringham Shoal were grateful for the support as the future Community Fund, a fund that will provide grants vessel activity off the North coast, Christmas Tide Committee Member Cathy to community groups, including with not only Sheringham Shoal but also Gates said: “The atmosphere was fantastic These colourful lanterns were made by parents, schools and NGOs, seeking financial assistance other planned wind farms, means it will be – events such as these are so very children and helpers in preparation for the annual for projects or initiatives that meet key criteria. useful for them to be trained and prepared important to isolated rural communities Wells Christmas Tide procession, with funding assistance from the wind farm. if their assistance is required offshore. such as ours.” Beginning this year and building up to an annual amount of £100,000 from 2012, the fund will provide grants for projects or initiatives that focus on renewable energy, marine environment and Questions from the community safety, sustainability, or education in these areas. Why are the two Norwegian owner approach to business. With around Will the wind turbines have The Fund will be managed by the Norfolk companies investing in the UK? 33% of the European wind resource, flashing lights like lighthouses? Community Foundation with the involvement and the UK government’s clear of community representatives as trustees. Offshore wind in the UK is one of the ambitions to build a green power The wind farm turbines will be The guidelines for applicants will be finalised world’s most promising renewable market, the UK is important to marked with lights to help with once the trustees have been appointed. energy markets. Both Statoil and both owners’ renewable energy ship and vessel navigation.However Statkraft have an international business strategies. these lights will be far less visible More details about how to apply for a grant will than lighthouse beams. The lights are more likely to resemble those be published in the next edition of this newsletter that you see on buoys to direct and via the Norfolk Community Foundation - The Sheringham Shoal Community Fund will provide grants to North Norfolk groups for initiatives meeting key criteria. marine traffic. www.norfolkfoundation.com.

Can someone from the project present to my community group? More than halfway with cable installation Members of the project team have Work on the 22.6 kilometre onshore Weybourne to install ducting where the The whole onshore cable project is on recently been the guest speakers at cable connecting the wind farm to the export cables will come to shore. schedule to be completed by September. events held by the Sheringham 41 new substation at Salle is now more than Club and the North Norfolk Business halfway complete. Open trenching was used at a number Forum. If your organisation would like of other road crossings, but this is now to hear from the project, please contact There are two final horizontal directional complete and there will be no more Owners Statoil and Statkraft have other wind energy interests including Statoil’s floating turbine Nigel Tompkins at New Ideas for project, Hywind and Statkraft’s onshore wind farm, Alltwalis in Wales. Business on [email protected]. drillings to be carried out, underneath the road closures. Poppy Line and at Kelling Heath Holiday Park, where ducting is to be installed. Cable-pulling and cable-jointing is The majority of the other trenching and progressing along the route so there Contact details and more information ducting work has now finished. will be cable transport vehicles in Scira Offshore Energy Limited T: +44 (0) 207 766 7777 operation for the next few months. The Statoil UK Ltd F: +44 (0) 207 766 7862 The horizontal directional drilling final part of the project – mitigation One Kingdom Street E: [email protected] technique, which prevents the need measures, including reinstatement and W2 6BD Contact: Sue Vincent, Public Relations and W: www.scira.co.uk Communications Manager for excavation, has been used to cross backfilling of topsoil, hedge-planting under roads as well as rivers, woods and and landscaping – will begin in late The cable will be installed underneath the Poppy The Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm is owned equally by Statoil and Statkraft through the joint venture company, Scira Offshore Energy other landmarks. It has been used at summer. Line Railway using horizontal directional drilling. Limited. Statoil is the operator for the project during the development phase and Scira will be the operator of the wind farm when completed.

Contents: Page 3 Page 4 Page 2 • Offshore substations underway in Hartlepool • Helping fund community activities in Wells-next-the-Sea • Wells Harbour dredging progress on schedule • Foundation fabrication starts • Questions from the community • Establishing the marine operations • Onshore substation site preparation complete • Contact details and further information

Windfarm Newsletter AW 12.09.indd 3-4 03/01/2010 19:15