Taiwan’s offshore wind market continues to gain momentum with the selection of Mammoet-Giant to handle logistics and erection of wind turbine foundations at the Greater Changhua 2b and 4 wind farms, developed by Ørsted Taiwan. The project has an installed capacity of 920 megawatts and is a key part of the country’s goal of reaching 5.7 GW of offshore wind power by 2025.
Role of Mammoet-Giant
For this project, the joint venture between Mammoet and Giant Heavy Machinery Services provided global experience and specialized equipment, taking on all activities from planning to execution, ensuring speed and safety in the port operations. port operations.. Among these activities were:
- Handle 66 suction jackets, structures that serve as a base on the seabed for the wind turbines.
- The use of the SK350 ring crane 5,000-ton capacity ring crane to hoist the heavy bases (80 meters high and up to 2,500 tons) directly from the ship to the quay.
Why was this method key?
The choice to use cranes instead of the traditional “Roll-on/Roll-off” (RoRo) method was decisive for the success of the project. The RoRo method is a cargo transport technique where the cargo, instead of being lifted with cranes, is rolled onto the ship by its own means or with the help of auxiliary vehicles.
The problem with this method is that Taichung Port has a tidal difference of up to 6 meters, transforming the path the cargo has to pass through into a ramp between the dock and the ship that is too steep, paralyzing operations and making chartered ships wait, with very high additional costs. Lifting with the crane eliminated the dependence on tide windows and weather, streamlining the schedule.
The value of the partnership to the project
Ørsted’s choice of Mammoet-Giant was primarily based on the track record of success in Taiwan dating back to 2017 with the company’s first offshore wind developments. Replacing the traditional “Roll-on/Roll-off” method with direct crane hoisting was highly, as the difference in tides would have caused severe delays in port scheduling.
In addition, the company offered a turnkey solution for the project. Greater ChanghuaThis meant that Ørsted was able to concentrate on other critical aspects of the project, such as the marine installation and electrical connection.
Source and Photo: Mammoet
