Umbilical Pull-In - Global Tech 1

The project

The Global Tech 1 is an offshore wind farm based in the German section of the North Sea. As part of the wind farm development, they constructed a new substation platform and needs to be installed and secured. The entire wind farm project is expected to generate a 400MW capacity of onshore power. 

Global Tech 1 tasked Conbit with removing all heavy lifting equipment and aids used for lifting the substation and lowering the legs to be secured to the seafloor with suction anchors. Conbit installed lifting booms to reach the areas out of reach from the platform crane. Also, to be able to lift the wind turbine’s electrical cables. The crew demobilized the equipment offshore.

The power of preparation

Conbit prepared extensive plans and engineering designs for the lowering and heavy lifting operations and equipment removal. They started with the calculation reports and method statements, preparing the project in advance. All plans and engineering had to be approved by DNV GL, the marine warranty surveyor. As there was no sufficient crane capacity to install the electrical cables from the wind turbines into the substation, Conbit installed two lift booms onto the platform in the harbor of Keppel Verolme shipyard. Each of these has a lifting capacity of 12t at an 11m radius. Positioning one boom in each of the two corners of the platform allowed the installation of cables in both corners simultaneously and gave flexibility to the installation order offshore.

Conbit’s added value

Conbit could perform the calculations to reinforce the crane base structurally by utilizing their in-house expertise. This was to ensure that no further reinforcements were required in the hull. Similarly, they increased project efficiencies and cost savings as Conbit developed a crane that provided the extended capacity to slew in locations that needed the lifting capacity. The platform crane could not offer this additional reach, which would’ve required costly upgrades.

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