Cadeler has completed the installation of the first fully commissioned monopile foundation installation at Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore wind project in the UK.
The operation marked the first time Cadeler executed the full transportation and installation scope for offshore monopile foundations, expanding beyond its traditional turbine installation activities.
The XXL monopile installation was carried out by the company’s newly delivered A-class vessel Wind Ally, which was designed for the transport and installation of ultra-large offshore foundations.
Following the monopile lift, Wind Orca completed the installation of the secondary steel structures. The commissioning scope was then performed by the service operation vessel Esvagt Froude, while post-installation commissioning and completion work were handled by Boston Energy.
The installation campaign forms part of a contract covering the transportation and installation of 197 monopile foundations for the Hornsea 3 development. To support the project scope, Cadeler plans to deploy three offshore wind installation vessels from its fleet.
Once completed, Hornsea 3 is expected to become the world’s largest offshore wind farm with a total generation capacity of 2.9 GW.
Bradley Scott, Project Director at Cadeler, said the milestone represented an important step in the company’s expansion into full-scope foundation transportation and installation services.
