ALE utilises innovative barge for wind component load-out

ALE’s latest marine investment, the SARAH S barge, has been deployed on its inaugural job to transport transition pieces (TPs) as part an offshore wind project in the UK.

ALE was contracted to provide the specialist offshore engineering as well as the marine transportation, sea-fastening, load-out and ballasting of over 100 TPs for Ørsted’s Hornsea Project One, set to be the biggest wind farm in the world.

For the structural engineering, ALE utilised its in-house expertise and the Conbit team performed the structural integrity and sea fastening calculations of the grillages on the barge deck.

The SARAH S is 3m narrower than most North Sea barges, making this innovative barge ideal for this project, as it can fit between the quayside and the offshore installation vessel and falls in line with the vessels crane radius limits, for transferring the TPs from the barge to the installation vessel.

So far, ALE has loaded-out the first five TPs and successfully completed the first discharge onto the installation vessel. The operations are expected to last until the end of 2018.