MPI Discovery starts installation of wind turbines at Rampion
MPI has announced that wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) MPI Discovery has commenced installation of the MHI Vestas V112-3.45 offshore wind turbines at the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm off the south coast of England.
MPI Discovery started foundation installation on the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm in January 2016. By November 2016, all 116 monopiles and transition pieces were installed by MPI Discovery and Pacific Orca. Following successful completion of the foundation installation campaign, MPI Discovery has now been mobilised for the turbine installation campaign. Prior to this, MPI Discovery was utilised for a bolt tensioning campaign in order to finalise the foundation installation works. In addition, MPI has also been contracted to provide sister vessel MPI Adventure, including all project management and engineering services, to install the turbines in parallel with MPI Discovery. MPI Adventure is scheduled to join MPI Discovery during the summer of 2017.
MPI Discovery and MPI Adventure are state-of-the-art offshore installation vessels. Designed to transport, lift, install and decommission components such as foundations, wind turbines, met masts and transformer stations, they are among the world’s most well-proven installation vessels in terms of jacking speed, deck space, lifting capacity, accommodation facilities and positioning capabilities (DP2).
Rampion OWF is a 400 megawatt project being built 13 kilometres off the coast of Sussex and a joint venture between E.ON, the UK Green Investment Bank and Canadian energy company, Enbridge. Once completed, the wind farm will produce enough energy each year to supply almost 350,000 households. The wind farm is scheduled to be finished and ready for operation in 2018.
Note to editors:
Vroon’s activities in the wind offshore-support sector operate under the MPI banner. MPI is active in the offshore wind-turbine-installation and -maintenance markets with a range of vessels, equipment and service offerings.
MPI Offshore, based in Stokesley (UK) and Breda (the Netherlands), has been pioneering the offshore wind-turbine-installation business since 2003, when the first dedicated wind-turbine-installation vessel, MPI Resolution, was delivered. During the past 13 years MPI has been involved in numerous windfarm construction projects in nearly all countries around the North and Baltic Seas.
MPI operates four dedicated wind-turbine-installation vessels, as well as a fleet of 14 workboats. In addition, MPI provides a range of engineering, consulting, manpower and equipment rental services.
