THE ROAD TO
MORAY WEST OFFSHORE
WIND FARM

THE ROAD TO MORAY WEST OFFSHORE WIND FARM

In 2022, the CAPE Vibro Lifting Technology has been selected for the Moray West offshore wind farm project. The project is being developed by Ocean Winds, a 50:50 joint venture between EDP Renewables and Engie. Here, on this dedicated news page, we are committed to keeping you thoroughly informed about the latest CAPE Holland related developments in the project.

This item is updated with information and images as the project progresses. Latest update: February 2024.

Background – Moray West OWF
The Moray West offshore wind farm is located off the east coast of Scotland in the Moray Firth. The 882 MW wind farm will have the capacity to power up to 1.3 million homes in the United Kingdom. The development consists of 60 offshore wind turbines and two substations, all fixed on monopile foundations. Due to the large turbine size (14.7 megawatts) and water depth (up to 54 meters), extremely large XXL monopiles weighing up to 2,000 tons each will be required for this development.

December 2022 – Contract award by DEME
CAPE Holland has been awarded by installation contractor DEME for the delivery of a CAPE VLT-640 Quad spread. The piles will be driven to final penetration with an impact hammer. The monopiles have diameters up to 10 meter, measure up to 93 meters in length and weigh up to nearly 2,000 tons.

The CAPE VLT-640 Quad has a safe working load of 3,000 tons and the spreads also include power units, hose reels and a control cabin. DEME will be responsible for the installation of the monopiles using the CAPE VLT-640 Quad. DEME will deploy its Offshore Heavy Lift DP3 Installation Vessel Orion with its 5,000 tons crane capacity for the installation campaign.  

DEME; “We are looking forward to work with CAPE Holland on this project. We are confident that the CAPE VLT will help us with the safe installation of the monopiles for the Moray West offshore wind farm.”

March 2023 – Contract award by Boskalis
CAPE Holland has been awarded by installation contractor Boskalis for the delivery of a CAPE VLT-640 Triple spread. The CAPE Vibro Lifting Technology will be used to upend and safely install monopiles for the Moray West offshore wind turbine and offshore substation platform foundations. The piles will subsequently be driven to final penetration with an impact hammer. The monopiles have a top diameter of 7.5 meter and bottom diameter of up to 10 meter, measure up to 93 meters in length and weigh up to nearly 2,000 tons.

The CAPE VLT-640 Triple, with an eccentric moment of nearly 2,000 kgm, has a safe working load of 2,200 tons and the spread includes hydraulic power units and a control cabin. Boskalis will perform the installation of the XXL monopiles using the CAPE VLT-640 Triple, which is scheduled for mobilization in the second half of 2023. Boskalis will deploy its DP2 Heavy Lift Vessel Bokalift 2 with its 4,000 tons crane capacity and large cargo deck of 7,500 m2 for the installation campaign.

Frodo Leenhouts, Project manager Offshore Heavy Lifting at Boskalis, “We are pleased to work with CAPE Holland on this project. We are confident that the CAPE VLT-640 Triple will help us to efficiently and safely install the monopiles for the Moray West offshore wind farm.”

September 2023 – Fabrication CAPE VLT-640 Triple
Fabrication of the CAPE VLT-640 Triple for Boskalis successfully finished at Breman Machinery.

October 2023 – Load test CAPE VLT-640 Triple
The CAPE VLT-640 Triple for Boskalis is now fully certified and ready to upend and safely install monopiles for the Moray West offshore wind turbine and offshore substation platform foundations! See how the CAPE VLT-640 Triple was successfully load tested to complete the lifting appliance certification process under Lloyd’s Register Code for Lifting Appliances in a Marine Environment (CLAME). The CAPE VLT-640 Triple was subjected to a test load of 3,245 tons and certified (SWL) for lifting piles up to 2,400 tons.

October 2023 – Installation Quick Connect LiftLOK
Installation of the receptacle on the CAPE VLT-640 Triple for Boskalis, project specifically developed by our sister company Balltec. The receptacle is a 3,000 ton clevis pin receptacle designed to be lifted with Balltec’s 3,000 ton LiftLOK QCT (Quick Connect Tool).

With a SWL of 3,000 ton, the LiftLOK QCT is one of the highest capacity Quick Connect Tools ever made. It is DNV approved to DNV-ST-0378 and has a fatigue life of 10 years under operational conditions.

October 2023 – Load out CAPE VLT-640 Triple
A picture says more than a thousand words. She is there…and she is ready for take-off!

October 2023 – Transport CAPE VLT-640 Triple
In pleasant Dutch autumn weather, the CAPE VLT-640 Triple for Boskalis was successfully transported by the push boat “Waterlelie” from Genemuiden to Amsterdam.

October 2023 – Loading CAPE VLT-640 Triple
Loading of the CAPE VLT-640 Triple for Boskalis with the Matador 3.

February 2024 – Load test CAPE VLT-640 Quad
The CAPE VLT-640 Quad for DEME is fully certified and ready to upend and safely install monopiles for the Moray West offshore wind turbine foundations. The CAPE VLT-640 Quad was successfully load tested to complete the lifting appliance certification process under Lloyd’s Register Code for Lifting Appliances in a Marine Environment (CLAME). The CAPE VLT-640 Quad was subjected to a test load of 4,037 tons and certified (SWL) for lifting piles up to 3,000 tons.

February 2024 – Loading CAPE VLT-640 Quad
Loading of the CAPE VLT-640 Quad for DEME.