MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has received a significant order for delivery of the mission-critical system to be installed on the OHT offshore wind foundation installation vessel, Alfa Lift, being built at the China Merchants Heavy Industry shipyard in Jiangsu, China.

The order, which is the largest single vessel contract secured to date by MacGregor, was booked in Cargotec’s 2020 third quarter order intake. The monopile installation system is scheduled to be delivered during the fourth quarter of 2021.

Scope of supply includes the engineering, procurement and construction of the monopile lifting, skidding and transfer system, which is an integral part of the installation process undertaken by employing an upending tool and motion compensated gripper frame.

The motion-compensated gripper frame will be closely interfaced with the vessel’s dynamic positioning and control system in an integrated solution developed jointly by MacGregor and Kongsberg Maritime. Both companies believe that the application of automated handling solutions will increase the safety, productivity and consistency of the installation operation, resulting in substantial cost and time savings.

Alfa Lift is scheduled for delivery in 2021 and will be the world’s largest custom-built offshore wind foundation installation vessel. She will feature a 3,000t main crane, a 10,000+ m² ‘smart deck, capable of carrying and installing up to 14 XL monopiles per voyage and will be able to fully submerge the main deck to a depth of 14.66m.

“OHT is committed to continuously advancing the development of technologies within offshore wind operations, thereby enabling complex operations to be undertaken at the highest levels of safety and efficiency. The monopile installation solution is the result of applying our collective capabilities and experience to solve market challenges and achieve optimum operability for our vessels,” says Torgeir E. Ramstad, Chief Executive Officer. “Whenever we ask MacGregor to solve operational challenges in the demanding marine environment they, together with partners, demonstrate excellent technical understanding and respond quickly. We are extremely pleased to be working together on the exciting Alfa Lift project.”

“Working closely with MacGregor, we have developed an innovative solution that improves the efficiency of foundation installation vessels by replacing lengthy, temporary mooring processes with full DP in combination with an integrated guidance system and hydraulic frame mechanism,” says Gunnar Thorsen, SVP Business Concepts, Kongsberg Maritime AS.

“MacGregor is delighted to be selected to supply the mission-critical work system for the Alfa Lift vessel,” says Leif Byström, Head of the Offshore Solutions Division. “We have worked intensively over several years to develop a state-of-the-art solution that provides the most precise installation method for all monopile ranges. We appreciate and highly value the hard work and great cooperation between the OHT, Kongsberg Maritime and MacGregor teams that have made this possible.”

Michel van Roozendaal, President, MacGregor says “MacGregor has invested in applying its vast knowledge of offshore technology into enabling the progression of renewable energy, with the OHT Alfa Lift contract being an excellent example of where these advanced technologies can be put to work. I would also like to add my appreciation of the trust that OHT has placed in MacGregor, and equally recognise the collaborative team effort that has resulted in the innovative monopile installation solution being developed.”