The heavy-lift crane vessel Seaway Alfa Lift has arrived in Invergordon, berthing at the Port at the Cromarty Firth to strengthen the offshore construction fleet supporting the 1.1GW Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm. Teams are now preparing the unit for its next assignment in the North Sea.
Operated by Seaway7, the 245 m-long vessel is set to carry out the installation of 18 jacket foundations alongside 54 monopile foundation transition pieces. The scope is scheduled to move offshore after mobilisation, with departure for the project area planned for spring.
Built for offshore wind work, Seaway Alfa Lift can conduct heavy-lift crane operations with its main deck submerged. The vessel is specified for the next generation of XXL foundations and is equipped with a main crane rated to 3,000 tonnes, more than 8,000 m² of deck space, and up to 44,000 t of cargo and equipment capacity. Station-keeping is supported by DP2 dynamic positioning, while a motion-compensated walk-to-work gangway is used for personnel transfers.
To align with project sustainability targets, the vessel incorporates a battery-assisted hybrid power arrangement and exhaust-gas scrubbers intended to reduce fuel consumption and emissions during operations.
While alongside in Invergordon, Seaway Alfa Lift is completing a full mobilisation programme, including fitting project-specific mission equipment and carrying out final checks ahead of the foundation campaign.
The Inch Cape site lies about 15 km off the Angus coast. Once the foundation phase is completed, it will enable the installation of 72 wind turbines, with the project expected to supply renewable electricity for approximately 1.1 million homes.
