North American Windpower: World's Largest Wind Farm Installation Vessel Ready To Launch

World's Largest Wind Farm Installation Vessel Ready To Launch

by NAW Staff on Monday 30 July 2012

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has built what it says is the world's largest wind farm installation vessel and delivered it to Swire Pacific Offshore, a Singapore-based shipper.

The vessel - dubbed "Pacific Orca" - is 161 meters long, 49 meters wide and 10.4 meters high, and is capable of transporting and installing 12 3.6 MW wind turbines, the company says.

It also allows the installation of wind farms to a depth of 60 meters, as well as the installation of wind farms with a capacity of 10 MW or higher.

The vessel is floated up to 17 meters above sea level, using six legs, and the 1,200-ton crane embedded on the vessel allows the installation of power generation towers, power generation rooms and wings, SHI explains, adding that the vessel allows the installation of wind farms under extreme conditions, including wind speeds of up to 20 meters per second and waves up to 2.5 meters high.

Latest Top Stories

Study: How Northwest Wind Can Play With Energy Storage And Provide Operational Flexibility

Researchers have identified two possible sites in eastern Washington to build compressed-air energy-storage facilities that could temporarily store the Northwest’s abundant wind resources.

Wind Consortium Deploys Nacelle-Mounted LIDAR At Offshore Site In Irish Sea

In an important development for performance verification for offshore wind sites, a group of companies have deployed a nacelle-mounted LIDAR at DONG Energy's 367 MW Walney Wind Farm.

As U.S. DOJ Investigates, Duke Works Adaptive Management Plan

With previous golden eagle fatalities reported at two company-owned wind farms in Wyoming, Duke Energy Renewables is going to great lengths to protect raptors.

DOE To Recast Landmark 20% Wind Energy Report; Study Looks Back, Ahead

The U.S. Department of Energy will update its 20% Wind Energy By 2030 report, which indicated increased levels of wind penetration for the U.S. is not only possible but feasible.

Wind Energy Procurement Top Of Mind For Big-Name Companies

With greater frequency, top-tier companies are discovering the economic and environmental power of wind energy and upping their investments in the resource.