BigLift Shipping transported 38 jacket foundations from Spain to the Saint-Brieuc offshore windfarm, located 16.3 kilometers off Brittany’s coast. They used their advanced vessel, BigLift Baffin, which features a dynamic positioning system and a spacious 125*42 meter flush deck.
From June 4 to October 5, the BigLift Baffin completed ten shipments, each carrying the jacket foundations on deck. This involved eight trips with four pieces and two trips with three pieces. These 70-meter tall, 1,100-metric-ton jacket foundations were securely fastened onto quick-release systems to streamline the lifting process at sea.
Van Oord’s Aeolus vessel discharged the jackets at sea while the BigLift Baffin remained stable using its DP2 system. This was the first time the vessel utilized its DP2 configuration, crucial in dealing with the region’s substantial tidal range and challenging currents. Despite these tough conditions, the DP system performed admirably.
This project exemplified a rapid and demanding operation with minimal preparation time. BigLift Shipping is proud of the success of its vessel, BigLift Baffin, and is eager to tackle even more challenging projects in the future.
The Saint-Brieuc wind farm, developed by Ailes Marines (a subsidiary of Iberdrola), is the first in France to use jacket foundations. It consists of 62 wind turbines generating 496 megawatts of clean energy, serving 835,000 people.
