Danish company Cadeler announced the successful installation of the first complete monopile foundation for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm, developed by Ørsted off the coast of the UK. This operation marks the start of one of the most important phases of the offshore project, which will involve a total of 197 XXL monopile foundations.
Currently, Hornsea 3 is considered one of the developments of offshore wind energy the most ambitious on the planet. Once it enters commercial operation, it will reach a capacity of 2.9 GW, enough to supply renewable electricity to more than 3.3 million British homes.
Cadeler expands its presence in the offshore market
On this occasion, Cadeler assumed for the first time the full scope of transport and installation of foundations marina monopilot. The company highlighted that the project required several years of technical planning, logistical coordination, and simultaneous execution between onshore teams and offshore operations.
Bradley Scott, Cadeler’s project manager, explained that this breakthrough represents much more than the placement of the first structure on the seabed.
The execution of projects of this magnitude requires close collaboration, detailed planning, and solid execution at every phase of the operation.
Bradley Scott, project manager at Cadeler.
Wind Ally led the installation of the monopile
To carry out the offshore operations, Cadeler deployed three specialized vessels from its own fleet. Among them, the Wind Ally stood out, the new Class A vessel built specifically for the transport and installation of XXL monopiles.
Meanwhile, the Wind Orca ship was responsible for installing the secondary foundation steel. The complete commissioning was carried out using the service operations vessel ESVAGT FROUDE, operated by the Danish company ESVAGT.
Hornsea 3 will boost the UK’s renewable energy generation
The Hornsea 3 project is part of the Hornsea offshore wind complex developed by Ørsted in the North Sea. The initiative has become one of the UK’s strategic pillars for accelerating the energy transition and expanding emissions-free electricity production.
Furthermore, the use of XXL monopile foundations confirms the evolution of the offshore industry towards increasingly larger wind turbines and marine parks with greater installed capacity.
With the start of offshore installations, Cadeler consolidates its position within the international offshore wind energy market and strengthens its presence in large-scale renewable infrastructure projects.
Source and photo: Cadeler