Final Gravity Based Foundation Reaches Blyth Demo

The fifth and final gravity based foundation built for the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Project has arrived at the installation site and is about to undergo immersion.

The gravity based foundations, developed by two Royal BAM Group companies, BAM Nuttall and BAM Infra, were manufactured at the Neptune dry dock in Newcastle.

The foundations are being installed using a ‘float and submerge’ method, a first for the offshore wind industry according to EDF Energy Renewables, the owner and developer of the 41.5MW project.

The foundations combine a steel reinforced concrete foundation, with a steel monopile, allowing the installation in water depth of up to 45 metres while eliminating noise from pile hammering during installation.

The Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Project, located 5.7km off the coast of Blyth, Northumberland, is the first to utilise the hybrid gravity based foundations, as well as 66kV electrical infrastructure.

It will feature five MHI Vestas 8MW turbines optimised to deliver a maximum output of 8.3MW.