Wind Orca’s new lifting capacity bringing clean electricity to 1.33 million Scottish homes

Operating in its Element

The Moray West offshore wind farm, located in the Moray Firth, Scotland, is set to play a crucial role in Scotland’s transition to Net Zero carbon emissions. Expected to be operational by early 2025, the project will install 60 wind turbines, each generating 14.7 megawatts, for a total capacity of 882MW. Developed by Ocean Winds, a joint venture between EDP Renewables and ENGIE, Moray West aims to provide clean, low-carbon electricity to up to 1.33 million homes.

Largest wind turbines in the UK

To achieve this, Cadeler's Wind Orca vessel has been contracted to transport and install the turbines. Equipped with a new GustoMSC crane, the Wind Orca is well-suited for installing the Siemens Gamesa SG-14-222 DD turbines, the largest in the UK. The new main crane has a lifting capacity of 1,600 t at a radius of 40 meters. The main hook can reach 160 meters above the main deck and is a substantial upgrade from the previous vessel cranes.

June 2024 Reading time: 2 min

Wind Orca's new lifting capacity bringing clean electricity to 1.33 million Scottish homes

Operating in its Element

Impressive specifications The Wind Orca is mobilized at the Port of Nigg and will transport components for two turbines per roundtrip to the wind farm site, located 22 kilometers off the coast. The turbines feature impressive specifications, with blades of 108 meters long reaching 260 meters above sea level, and a rotor diameter of 222 meters. This project underscores the rapid growth and value of the offshore wind sector, supporting Scotland’s ambition to have 50% of its electricity from renewable sources. The installation campaign at the Moray West site will run from April to October 2024, with the farm expected to be fully operational in the beginning of 2025.

For more information, visit moraywest.com

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Joint effort More key installations at the Moray West site were successfully executed by specialized vessels designed by GustoMSC. Boskalis's Bokalift 2, originally a GustoMSC P10,000 design, installed the foundations at the Moray West site at the end of 2023. After which the transition pieces were installed by DEME's Apollo, a DP2 jack-up vessel according to the GustoMSC NG-5500X design.

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