SHL Chooses RED Engineering Monitoring Tech for Beatrice

Seaway Heavy Lifting (SHL) has chosen RED Engineering’s new monitoring technology for the installation of jacket foundations for the 588MW Beatrice offshore wind farm in the Moray Firth, Scotland.

RED Engineering’s development has been used to improve accuracy, speed and safety during the installation, as it features remote proximity sensors to confirm the correct engagement of the internal lifting tool (ILT) used by SHL.

The sensors are connected to a remote monitoring system providing improved control of the lifting tool and confirming correct engagement. Additionally, the system delivers offshore time-saving advantages by allowing riggerless operations, RED Engineering said.

Tim Newsome, mechanical engineer at RED Engineering, said: “This latest project is typical of the value added by our innovative application of existing technology, reducing risks and saving our client’s time and money. We are delighted that SHL has placed its faith in our expertise and experienced engineers, and look forward to further applications of this beneficial technology in offshore operations.”

SHL’s vessel Stanislav Yudin recently installed 80 out of 86 sets of foundation piles for the wind farm.

After completing the installation of the piles, the vessel will resume the jacket foundation installation, which is currently suspended as Oleg Strashnov left the site on 2 October after installing 24 out of 86.

Beatrice will consist of 84 Siemens 7MW turbines, expected to be installed in summer 2018, while the wind farm is expected to be fully operational in 2019.