A customized Lifting Tool
Scope of work
Time-critical upright transport of 49 transition pieces (TPs) from Aalborg and Vlissingen to Esbjerg. SAL prepared HSSE and Quality plans, mobilised MV Lone, and delivered the full technical package – including the design and fabrication of TP grillages and a bespoke TP lifting tool – to meet a tight schedule.
Methods
Engineering and tooling developed in AutoCAD and Inventor, with structural verification in RFEM. Octopus-Office supported motion response analysis and weather routing for safe, efficient passages.
Engineering scope
Design a tailor-made seafastening grillage and clamping system and a low-headroom TP lifting tool (replacing the crane hook) to achieve the required lifting height. Perform structural calculations; supervise manufacture and load testing, certification and coating; manage procurement; and run route/motion analyses – delivering all structures on time for vessel mobilisation.
Project background & contract award
The North Sea has recently become the staging ground for a major boom in offshore wind farms, leading to the SAL team’s involvement in several such projects. As part of the ongoing Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm development, GeoSea NV awarded SAL the transportation of 49 transition pieces (TPs) for the Horns Rev 3 offshore wind farm.
The assignment involved transporting TPs from fabrication yards in Aalborg, Denmark, and Vlissingen, the Netherlands, to the project port of Esbjerg in Denmark. “SAL’s ability to meet a very demanding project schedule was the decisive factor for us,” states Andrei Lupan, Logistics Manager at GeoSea.
Engineering, preparations & execution
Within a very short time frame from kick-off to the start of execution, our team of experts at SAL not only prepared a full HSSE and Quality plan and developed the technical design, but also completed all required engineering work. Procurement activities had to be managed intensively, including strict budget control, and the fabrication of five TP grillages and one lifting tool was required to ensure MV Lone was ready on schedule for loading the first units.
Close attention to detail and risk in both planning and execution ensured consistent progress and prevented delays – meeting milestones for both our client and ourselves. Our project management team also established and maintained a well-structured communication plan with continuous reporting to the client and various sub-contractors.
Technical challenge: a tight lift
Each of the 49 TPs measures 32.27 metres in height, has a diameter of 7.12 metres, and weighs 530 tonnes. Due to the exceptional height and pre-installed rooftop, a very low rigging height was necessary to ensure a safe and efficient lifting operation. For this reason, a tailor-made TP lifting tool had to be designed to replace the standard crane hook.
All TPs were transported using a custom-designed seafastening grillage and clamping system.
Project success & client feedback
“We are proud that GeoSea placed their trust in us for this time-critical project,” explains SAL Project Manager Morten Hinrichs. “Given such a tight schedule, we drew on past experience and expertise to ensure a safe and successful operation. With our ready-made designs for TP grillages and lifting tools – which can be tailored to the specific needs of our clients – we were able to meet the challenging requirements.”
“We are very satisfied with the execution of the project by SAL. It once again highlights their knowledge and expertise in the technical heavy lift transport market for complex offshore wind projects. Thanks to SAL’s extensive project management, all necessary structures were designed, calculated, approved, manufactured, load tested, certified, coated, and delivered on time, guaranteeing timely mobilization and delivery of the project vessel,” adds Andrei Lupan. Due to SAL’s well-known flexibility regarding spontaneous changes, as well as their proactive support, MV Lone was delivered to our client on time and performed successfully throughout the Horns Rev 3 project.