Figure 66 Port of Hull, courtesy of Siemens Gamesa.
Function
The construction port is the base for pre-assembly and construction of the wind farm. Separate locations may be used for feeding foundations and the wind turbines to a wind farm. Location is critical as it affects the time spent in shipment and sensitivity to weather windows.
What it costs*
Included in installation contracts.
Who supplies them
UK ports used so far include Able Seaton, Barrow, Belfast, Great Yarmouth, Harwich, Hull, Mostyn and Sheerness.
Non-UK ports used for UK projects include Cuxhaven, Eemshaven, Esbjerg, Ijmuiden, Ostende and Vlissingen.
Heavy lifting services: Heavy Lift Projects and Mammoet.
Health and safety: CASC.
Support services: Boston Energy, Clarkson port services, Texo and Doyle Shipping.
Key facts
Construction port requirements are typically:
- At least 8 hectares suitable for lay down and pre-assembly of products, more if the port is handling both foundations and turbines
- Quayside of length 200-300 m length with high load bearing capacity and adjacent access
- Water access to accommodate vessels up to 140 m length, 45 m beam and 6 m draft with no tidal or other access restrictions, although as turbine sizes and in turn vessel sizes increase, this requirement will grow, and
- Ideally no overhead clearance to sea, or a minimum of 100 m (to allow vertical shipment of towers).
Sites with greater weather restrictions or for larger scale construction may require an additional lay-down area, up to 30 hectares.
Large areas of land are required due to the space taken when turbines are stored lying down on the ground.
What’s in it
- Drilling equipment
- Trenching equipment
- Cable-laying equipment