ØRSTED - HORNSEA TWO
ØRSTED - HORNSEA TWO
Taking Tangible Action
to Tackle Clean Energy Rollout PRODUCTION: Joe Forshaw
Covid, conflict, and climate – three of the major challenges of our time, all with economic ripple effects that end up impacting the lives of everyone. The world’s big companies must step up and play their part to leave lasting impact and solve problems. Danish energy business Ørsted is a driving force in the climate category, recently announcing first power from its Hornsea Two wind farm in the UK North Sea – a major achievement from the world’s largest offshore wind power project. www.energy-focus.net / 3
INDUSTRY FOCUS: WIND ENERGY
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In a true marvel of engineering, ambition, and innovation, the world’s largest offshore wind farm generated first power in December 2021. Brought to the UK market by Ørsted, this mammoth project is the latest in a long list of major successes in the North Sea. When fully operational, the site will produce 1.32 GW and, alongside sister Hornsea One, will generate enough clean energy to power 2.3 million UK homes. This is a statement from Ørsted about what is possible in the transition away from fossil fuelderived energy sources. Obviously, success on this development has not been easy to come by. Building a major offshore wind farm - utilising a long list of specialist organisations, sourcing funding, and operating across
international borders – during a global pandemic where the importance of workforce safety has been further heightened is a serious challenge. Senior Programme Director, Patrick Harnett gives Energy Focus an insight into the hurdles the company and its partners have overcome. “The last two years has seen us dealing with new day-to-day challenges as the pandemic took various unexpected twists and turns,” he explains. “To combat this, we quickly developed new operational procedures to limit the effect of COVID-19 on our operations. With so many people working in relatively close proximity for two weeks at a time it has been key to test people prior to them getting on the Service Operations Vessels (SOVs) and ensuring that isolation periods are
// WITH EACH PROJECT, WE BUILD ON WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED, AND WE ARE GETTING BETTER AND LEANER EACH TIME //
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maintained prior to joining SOVs out at offshore wind sites.” COVID COOPERATION He praises the great job done by employees to date and suggests downtime has been minimal throughout the supply chain despite some disruption expected when working on a project of this scale. “It’s a real testament to the dedication and resourcefulness of the team that we have remained on schedule,” he adds. Collaboration has been vital for Hornsea Two. Contractors and service providers have delivered invaluable knowledge, experience, and insight, and the planning involved has allowed for cooperation on site on a scale not seen before. “There’s always a strong focus on detailed planning and execution across our projects to ensure that everything remains on track, especially with a project like Hornsea Two which had a lot of simultaneous construction activity offshore,” says Harnett.
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INDUSTRY FOCUS: WIND ENERGY
// AS OF 2021, ØRSTED HAS INVESTED OVER £14 BILLION INTO UK OFFSHORE WIND… ASSUMING THESE WIND FARMS ARE CONSENTED AND COMMISSIONED AT THE PLANNED SCALE, WE EXPECT TO INVEST AN ADDITIONAL A SIMILAR AMOUNT AGAIN DURING THE NEXT DECADE //
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With full scale operation on the horizon, the teamwork displayed on site throughout the lifetime of the project will act as an example going forward, for all companies involved in the building of energy projects of scale, and will solidify relationships in the future. “We work very closely with our partner companies and have the finishing line in sight as we install the remaining turbines and continue testing, commissioning, and energising Hornsea Two. A complex construction of this size and location is a true team effort. We owe its success to everyone that worked so hard throughout the pandemic to make it a reality.” At Hornsea, 165 Siemens Gamesa 8MW turbines required installation, in waters more than 50 miles off the UK east coast, across a site covering more than 460 km2. This enormous task required the input of many people over long periods of time. Working and living in close quarters was unavoidable, and new ideas and strategies were required. Alongside this development of new ideas, Ørsted was forced to reimagine its purpose – something for which it is well-known. “The COVID-19 pandemic has given us an opportunity to refocus and, if we make the right choices now, potentially accelerate our progress to a more sustainable, low-carbon future. The offshore wind sector will play a prominent role in the future and we are confident that through continued collaboration between Government, the industry and business we can deliver environmental and economic benefits for generations to come. “It has been encouraging to hear the determination from governments in the UK and across the world to maintain their climate ambitions and the understanding that accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy can both drive our economic recovery and build resilience for the future,” says Harnett.
ØRSTED - HORNSEA TWO
ONE & TWO Extra challenges came for Hornsea Two as the project team had to build adjacent to the enormous Hornsea One site which became fully operational at the end of 2019. At Hornsea One, 174 turbines now produce 1218 MW for the UK National Grid. But at Hornsea Two, new and more powerful turbines are being installed, and everything is bigger including the site. “Ultimately, Hornsea Two is a bigger project than Hornsea One and
as scale increases new challenges often arise,” says Harnett. “With each project, we build on what we have learned, and we are getting better and leaner each time, while still keeping a strong emphasis on quality and, of course safety. We’ve put together an incredibly talented and knowledgeable team, which has been a key component in the success delivery of the project. In terms of technology, one of the main differentiators between the
two projects is the use of Siemens Gamesa 8 MW 80-167 DD turbines, which can deliver 20% more annual output than those used for Hornsea One. The majority of the blades, which are around six metres longer than on Hornsea One, are manufactured and delivered from the Siemens Gamesa factory in Hull.” Power generation from these turbines is improved thanks to advances in technology in terms of size and optimisation. Blades on
Seasight Davits revolutionizes the personnel-transfer method in offshore wind Seasight Davits, a leading supplier of davit cranes, has recently launched their Spider – the first “2-in-1” davit crane approved for safely transferring personnel as well as cargo. CEO, Jimmy Damsgaard says: Spider is a bit of a gamechanger as it eliminates the need for separate personnel-transfer systems, and it gives access to the TPs without using ladders and boat landings. This simplifies the supply chain and lowers the procurement and maintenance costs.” Though, Spider is launched as a new product, it is basically an up-grade of Seasight Davits’ well-known davit crane combined with a personnel-transfer basket. “Compromising on safety is never an option – especially not when transferring personnel. This is why combining our davit crane with the transfer basket was the obvious choice for Spider. The designs and technologies for both products have proven safe and reliable in offshore wind and the oil and gas industry respectively.” Damsgaard elaborates. The Spider transfer-basket fits two persons and is a scaled down version of those used in the oil and gas industry, but with the same advantages such as being fully self-rightening and floating in the water. And during the entire transfer, the personnel is sitting comfortably and protected as an alternative to relying on their personal safety harnesses.
Photo: Harbour test in Hvide Sande, Denmark The transfer basket has cameras in- and outside which are connected to the wireless remote control giving the crane operator on the vessel a good overview of the landing zone on the turbine platform as well as visual contact with the personnel being transferred. For an entire wind farm, only one set of transfer basket and remote control is needed. After the personnel-transfer, Spider is simply operated with its wired remote control from the TP. Davit cranes play an important role transferring cargo such as tools and spare parts from the vessel to the TP and back. Sometimes already in the construction phase, but otherwise for the annual services and inspections of the equipment and installations including the turbines.
More info: info@seasight-davits.com | +45 22309900 | Seasight-davits.com |
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INDUSTRY FOCUS: WIND ENERGY
Hornsea Two turbines are 81 metres long and stand atop 200-metre-high towers. With a rotor diameter of 167 metres, these monster structures are almost unparalleled in their size. “Each turbine has the capability of providing enough energy for 160,000 hour-long video conferences. The project will use the world’s largest offshore substation and will deliver the most affordable electricity from offshore wind to date,” adds Harnett. Major strides have been made and, with the announcement of first power at the end of last year, the end is in sight for Ørsted on what has been a journey dating back to August 2016 when the UK Secretary of State granted the Development Consent Order. “Once fully operational later this year, Hornsea Two will be the world’s largest operating offshore wind
farm, taking the title from its sibling project Hornsea One. Despite the challenges experienced over the last two years, we have adapted and been able to continue delivering on our construction milestones. By November 2021, 100 of our 165 8MW wind turbines were installed and we are still on track for completion in 2022. We are currently busy with installation of the remaining turbines and continuing testing, commissioning, and energising our wind farm for completion,” states Harnett. THE POWER OF WIND Beyond the lightbulbs and laptops being powered by Hornsea wind in 2.3 million UK households, the macroeconomic benefit behind the project is immense. A UK government must, the flow of money and
opportunity through a dedicated value chain has been fantastic. A company keen on localisation and leaving a legacy, Ørsted is delighted with the wider benefits that the project has created. “As well as making a significant contribution towards the UK’s renewable energy targets through projects like Hornsea Two, Ørsted is also committed to investing in the Humber region and supporting education and job creation,” explains Harnett. “We have developed a skills plan to highlight employment and supply chain opportunities associated with the construction, operation and maintenance of offshore wind farm projects. We’ve also built the UK’s largest operations base for offshore wind in Grimsby, providing around 500 jobs – with around 80% of staff living
BUSS ENERGY: YOUR PARTNER IN WIND ENERGY LOGISTICS Starting in August 2020, over 15 months Eemshaven has served as base port for the handling and load out of 165 Monopiles and Transition Pieces for the wind park project of Orsted, Hornsea Two. Buss Energy Group was contracted for the base port logistics of the monopiles and transition pieces. Buss Energy Group´s experienced team of project managers, stevedores and technicians provided a full scope of base port activities, including the handling of components of up to 1,230 tonnes per unit, provision of onshore storage solutions for Monopiles and Transition Pieces and provision of warehousing and office facilities. Furthermore, a custom designed Transition Piece Gantry Handler was used to enable a more efficient logistics and storage set up at Buss Terminal Eemshaven. Buss Terminal Eemshaven is located at the north coast of the Netherlands and is close to various offshore wind farms in the North Sea. The terminal contains about 250,000 m² of storage area, has a 694 m long quay and can handle a capacity of up to 35 tons/m² surface load. These
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figures combined with its prime location makes Buss Terminal Eemshaven the ideal marshalling port for handling heavy goods for offshore wind projects in the North Sea. The terminal has already served more than ten large-scale offshore projects and is looking forward to new ones. Buss Energy Group is one of the leading service companies in the on- and offshore wind industry in Germany and Europe. The services of Buss Energy Group include maintenance and installation of wind turbines and rotor blades on land and at sea. In addition, the company offers the entire base port logistics for wind farms with the operation of port facilities. Furthermore, a team of internationally experienced project managers and QHSE experts ensure a comprehensive set of services. Through specialized units, Buss Energy Group serves as reliable full-service provider in the installation of wind parks on- and offshore by providing individual project- and logistics planning, project management and interface management, as well as, the operational execution, handling and assembly with experienced riggers and technicians.
ØRSTED - HORNSEA TWO
within an hour’s drive from the facility.” Known as the East Coast Hub, this site opened in 2019, and benefitted from a £10 million investment for its quayside and office facilities. In the most recent recruitment drive for the East Coast Hub, Ørsted received over 1400 applications for 23 new technician positions. In August 2020, Ørsted launched its Thrive programme, a fully-immersive safety training scheme in Grimsby, where offshore operators can come to train on innovative VR tech. A pioneering project, Thrive is being made available to all offshore companies and the wider region to ensure the industry impact of Hornsea Two. The project represents a £1.4 million investment and has created 60 jobs in the area, which Harnett describes as the ‘fulcrum of green energy’.
“More widely” he expands, “we partner with the Natural History Museum to support curated days of activities for schools that might not otherwise have this opportunity, helping to encourage interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects. We also have a partnership with Teach First to address educational inequalities in the North East and a long term collaboration programme with Masters and PhD students enrolled in the Durham Energy Institute (DEI) at Durham University on projects and research that have positively impacted the renewable energy industry.” Clearly, the company values its UK business and realises the opportunities that remain in the UK market when it comes to shifting to alternative energy generating
resources. One of the world’s most advanced in terms of progress with wind energy – at the start of the year, the UK had around 104 GW of offshore installed capacity – the country still has a lot to offer but much more work to do. “The UK continues to be our largest market and offshore wind is set to play a key role in the journey to Net Zero. As of 2021, Ørsted has invested over £14 billion into UK offshore wind – our immediate focus is on our Hornsea Three and Hornsea Four projects,” details Harnett. “Assuming these wind farms are consented and commissioned at the planned scale, we expect to invest an additional a similar amount again during the next decade. Together the four Hornsea Continues on page 16
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AFTER COMPLETION OF THE HIGHLY TECHNICAL AND IMMENSELY CHALLENGING HORNSEA 2 PROJECT, WINDHOIST IS PREPARING FOR ANOTHER BUSY YEAR AS NEW PROJECTS COME THICK AND FAST. ENERGY FOCUS EXPLORES HOW THIS ESTABLISHED GLOBAL PLAYER IS WINNING IN WORLD WIND INDUSTRY.
© Liam Havlin - Hornsea 2
HARNESSING WORLDWIDE OFFSHORE WIND BOOM
World-leading turbine installer, Windhoist, is celebrating following major success on the Hornsea Two project in the UK North Sea. As the world’s largest offshore wind farm, built in harsh conditions, during a global pandemic and economic crisis, the 1.3 GW wind farm will power more than 1.3 million homes. For all involved, completion of this project is a considerable achievement and shows what is possible when imagination, innovation, and ambition come together. Established in 2005 and now recognised globally as a leader in wind turbine crane, installation, mechanical and electrical services, maintenance and servicing, and de-commissioning, Windhoist has become the partner of choice for project owners and turbine manufacturers. Enjoying relationships with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), Vestas, Nordex, GE, Samsung, Enercon, and more, Windhoist makes the seemingly impossible a reality and has the stats to prove it. With more than 7000 turbines installed, across 22 countries, utilising some of the most powerful heavy lift cranes available, the company has successfully added 20GW of natural wind energy to grids around the world. MD Euan Fenelon details Windhoist’s task on this critical project. “Following successful execution of Beatrice and Hornsea One pre-assembly, Windhoist were awarded the contract for the pre-assembly of the 165 Siemens 8MW 167-DD 8.0, 66KV Wind Turbines on Hornsea Two.
© Adam Ludlam - Hornsea 2 Vessal Loaded “Hornsea Two operated a 2-berth process, meaning two ships rotating out of the port to facilitate construction of the windfarm within 2021 calendar. This doubled the complexity of the project with two main installation cranes and at a time when the world was in the midst of the covid pandemic and labour shortages, however Windhoist delivered on time and to budget,” advised Fenelon. The company had to prep and build towers with its own cranes and labour, clean and paint, snag and rectify and review and handover to the client before preparing for transfer to the offshore vessel. These pre-assembly activities are highly specialised and require the input of a skilled and experienced workforce. Thankfully, Windhoist has a long working relationship with SGRE dating back to 2003, when they completed the first onshore project at Altahullion wind farm in Northern Ireland. Hornsea Two, an altogether different proposition, required Windhoist to unleash its most powerful capabilities to elevate nacelles each weighing hundreds of tons, and colossal steel towers, which will eventually rise to a combined total of 200m above the horizon. The company’s LR1750 Liebherr crawler crane and crew worked across the lifecycle of the project and bought in a support crane when extra capacity was required. “Since 2003,” says Fenelon “we have worked with Siemens and subsequently SGRE on 106 projects and built and installed 2145 turbines which have generated 7,740.8 MW of clean, green energy. Since the start of the renewable wind industry, Windhoist has enjoyed positive relationships with Gamesa and Senvion who joined forces with Siemens in 2017 and 2020 respectively. The combined total output of the three relationships has resulted in a total project count of 262, total wind turbine build of 3,442, and a total energy capacity of 10.5 GWh.” The historic success of Windhoist combined with an exceptional health and safety record – driven by a
comprehensive training and development division – is helping the company to nurture a strong pipeline of future work, delivering best-in-class in the wind energy industry worldwide. “Alongside Hornsea Two, 2021 saw a continued strong order intake for our combined crane and install services with over 250 technicians and 12 cranes deployed across 14 projects,” states Fenelon. “Windhoist is increasingly recognised as the provider of choice for turbine erection in extreme conditions, with one of our current projects seeing our teams successfully erecting SGRE turbines 500km inside the Arctic Circle he most northern tip of Norway,” he adds. In 2021, the company also successfully completed the second-largest onshore wind farm in Sweden and one of Europe’s largest – the Nysäter Wind Farm. Windhoist is prepping packages for vital work on major projects including Kennoxhead, Scotland; Raggovidda, Norway; and Kontissuo and Korkeakangas, Finland. “As per the 2021 season, 2022 is looking like it will be another busy year and our bids and tenders team are busy tendering for additional projects across 2022 and into 2023,” confirms Fenelon. The company’s global presence continues to grow in 2022, with teams deployed as far away as Taiwan as the world realises the potential of wind energy. Windhoist’s Crane and Install concept allows for service to customers globally while maintaining the highest levels of quality. “Our aim is to continue delivering our best-in-class turnkey services and high performing record in health, safety, and quality, which is vitally important to our clients and the final operator of the windfarm. As the focus has moved to renewable energy and professionalism has entered the supply chain, safety and quality have become paramount as well as delivering a cost-effective added value service,” declares Fenelon. “We have created jobs, improved the world’s renewable infrastructure, increased access to green energy, and provided vital services which make our planet a more environmentally friendly place.” While Windhoist’s daily work is highly complex – many different resources (plant and people) and time driven – it’s offering to clients is simple. The company brings unrivalled experience and knowledge and, ultimately, peace of mind for OEM’s, project owners, industry bodies, and all stakeholders. As a growing organisation, Windhoist will continue to improve and develop, and this is welcome news in such a burgeoning global industry sector. “As a strategic partner to our clients, we reduce risk, increase up-time and efficiency, and simplify ownership and operation of wind farms on and offshore,” concludes Fenelon.
Visit www.windhoist.co.uk.
INDUSTRY FOCUS: WIND ENERGY
Continued from page 13 projects will deliver more than 7GW of clean, renewable electricity, helping the UK’s effort to generate enough power to meet its 2030 climate goals.” In 2021, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the country would achieve net zero emission by 2050 through a strategic plan that would remove fossil fuels from the country’s core energy mix and create a new industry in green energy, with exciting new jobs and major investment. Ørsted is ready to assist. “Aside from Hornsea Three and Hornsea Four, which is currently going through the planning process, in January 2021, we won a joint bid with Falck Renewables and BlueFloat Energy Consortium to start developing a 1GW new floating offshore wind site off the north-east coast of Scotland. The project will be located off Caithness, around 50
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km east of Wick and is Ørsted’s first large-scale floating wind development project anywhere in the world, as well as expanding Ørsted’s footprint from onshore wind to offshore wind in Scotland. We’re also moving forward in a number of global markets, including the US and Taiwan,” Harnett says.
HEALTHY PLANET? In 2021, Bernstein Research released a report covering a long-discussed topic around how green and efficient wind farms actually are. Steel production, mining of metals for production of components, logistical emissions, sea pollution, damage to the natural
ØRSTED - HORNSEA TWO
environment, disturbing of animal habitat – the value chain has been questioned. But clear statistics demonstrate the effectiveness of wind farms. With much of the carbon footprint coming from the manufacture of towers, creation of concrete foundations, and building of fibreglass blades, the carbon cost has to be amortized over the decades of successful operation of the equipment. Ultimately, the research showed wind power to have a carbon footprint 99% lower than coal-fired power plants, 98% less than natural gas, and 75% less than solar power. According to Deepa Venkateswaran of Bernstein Research, “wind turbines average just 11 grams of CO2 emission per kilowatthour of electricity generated. That compares with 44 g/ kwh for solar, 450 g for natural gas, and 1000 g for coal.” Importantly, wind turbines do not release emissions that can pollute the air or water and they do not require water for cooling. There remains some concern over the impact on aquatic, bird, and bat life, but researchers are busy building plans to minimise any effect. “As a company that’s committed to building a clean, sustainable future for us all, it’s imperative that we
// A COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION OF THIS SIZE AND LOCATION IS A TRUE TEAM EFFORT. WE OWE ITS SUCCESS TO EVERYONE THAT WORKED SO HARD THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC TO MAKE IT A REALITY //
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listen to our moral compass when it comes to constructing and operating offshore wind farms,” explains Harnett on Ørsted’s approach to planning the major projects. “We make every effort throughout the planning process to ensure we minimise our impact on the environment and other sea users, and we’re keen to continue making improvements to the way we work as our projects progress. “For example, we’ve worked with academics at Oxford University and other institutions to reduce the amount of steel we use, while maintaining the longevity and structural integrity in the foundations of our offshore wind sites. Additionally, regarding maintenance, we have changed our approach to projects located far from the shore. Sending sailing ships out every day
is inefficient when you’re travelling a long distance. So now we keep a custom designed vessel on site for two weeks at a time. Finding the space for renewable energy is vital to prevent catastrophic damage to our oceans, protect biodiversity and ensure the future health of our planet.” Ørsted is a renewable energy company that takes tangible action to create a world that runs entirely on green energy. Hornsea Two is clear evidence of how this business lives its values. The benefits are obvious and the implementation is now proven. Prepare for more from Ørsted and more from wind power – the world’s next booming energy industry.
WWW.HORNSEAPROJECTS.CO.UK
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Published by CMB Media Group Chris Bolderstone – General Manager E. chris@cmb-media.co.uk Kiln House, Fuel Studios, Pottergate, Norwich NR2 1DX T. +44 (0) 1603 855 161 www.cmb-media.co.uk CMB Media Group does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors. The points of view expressed in articles by attributing writers and/ or in advertisements included in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this magazine, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from use of information published. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrievable system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher. © CMB Media Group Ltd 2022
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR ENERGY LEADERS
www.energy-focus.net
March 2022
Taking Tangible Action to Tackle Clean Energy Rollout Exclusive interview with Hornsea Two Senior Programme Director, Patrick Harnett
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