Gwynt y Môr Windfarm: Weekly Progress Report, 28th January 2013

This is a summary of the weekly notice of operations for the Gwynt y Môr Offshore Windfarm issued on 28th January 2013 to harbour masters and sea users.  This notice describes progress with construction, recent operations, work planned for the next 7 days, and provides a list of vessels operating on the site with their contact details.

Wind Farm Construction Status

Progress with construction is illustrated in a map here, and summarised below:-

• Monopiles: 80 installed, 80 remaining
• Transition pieces: 59 installed, 101 remaining
• Export cables: 1st cable (East) laid, still to be joined.  2nd cable (East) now due to be laid in summer 2013.
• Array cables: work not commenced

Navigation Hazards

There are presently a number of navigation hazards in and around the windfarm area.  These include:-

• Unlit objects – there are presently 13 unlit monopiles within the windfarm boundary.  Our latest update about these hazards can be accessed here.
• Exposed monopiles – there are currently 22 exposed monopiles, which may be submerged at certain states of tide.  These are detailed in our previous notice here.

The location of these hazards is shown in a map here.

Work carried out over past 7 days

The following work has been carried out in the past week:

• Friederich Ernestine continued drilling, piling and transition piece installation at turbine locations F10H & F13F, arriving at Cammell Laird wet basin on 26th January to discharge & load components and take bunkers & provisions.
  
• Penrhos Bay, Malltraeth Bay, Penrhyn Bay, Caernarfon Bay, Chinook and Scirocco utilised as Crew Transfer Vessels when required and sailed from Liverpool Marina and Canada Dock 3.
• Colwyn Bay and Kinmel Bay utilised as Crew Transfer / Stand by vessel as required and based at Liverpool Marina.
• Isadale continued work as a guard vessel and has been located at the export cable laydown point, south of Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm.
• Fleur de Lys has continued Marine Mammal Observation duties for piling at Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm.
• Normand Tonjer continued bung installation, seabed surveys, and support for Friederich Ernestine.
• Pulsar carried out survey work of the wet basis at base harbour, Holyhead.
• Whalsa Lass departed to re-deploy the FLIDAR buoy from Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm, and returned to Liverpool with buoy in tow having been unable to complete work.
• Seatruck Pace delivered the first set of wind turbine generator parts to Mostyn.

Work planned for next 7 days

The work planned for the next 7 days on the site is:

• Friederich Ernestine will continue installation duties at locations J16G, J17F and E12B.
• Tremadoc Bay, Colwyn Bay, Kinmel Bay, Penryn Bay, Penhros Bay, Malltraeth Bay, Caernarfon Bay, Chinook and Scirocco will be utilised as Crew Transfer / Stand by vessels running out of Liverpool Marina and Canada Dock, Liverpool.
• Normand Tonjer will continue with diving operations.
• Isadale will continue to guard the export cable south of Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm.
• Fleur de Lys will continue with Marine Mammal Observeration duties.
• Whalsa Lass will reinstall the FLIDAR buoy at Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm.

List of vessels at site for next 7 days

The vessels that will be operating on the site over the next 7 days and their contact details are given below.  We have linked up the vessel names to MarineTraffic.com so that with just one mouse click you can find out more about their current location and recent activity.