By 2023, more than 100 vessels have arrived in Aberdeen Harbor on various tasks related to offshore wind. Last in line was the jack-up installation vessel Blue Tern.
The cold. The vessel Olsen Windcarrier, which has an overall length of 495 feet, a beam of 164 feet and a crane of 800 tons, was not to be missed as it sailed into Aberdeen’s new South Harbour.
“Offshore wind is our biggest growth opportunity over the next decade. The sector currently accounts for 10 per cent of our global vessel traffic and with ScotWind, INTOG and other developments on the horizon, we expect this figure to increase significantly in the coming years,” said Port of Aberdeen Commercial Director Roddy James.
The Port of Aberdeen’s strategic location, infrastructure and access to an unrivaled supply chain has seen the port increasingly used for offshore wind projects, according to the port’s statement. A wide range of vessels – including large cable layers, construction, installation, survey and service operation vessels (SOVs) – working on wind farms such as Seagreen, Moray East and Moray West now regularly call at the port, adds the statement.
The port has supported wind development for many years, and its northern harbor is the operations and maintenance base for the Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm and the Kincardine Offshore Floating Wind Farm. The transformational South Harbor development offers 0.9 miles of deepwater moorings (30 to 50 feet deep) and can accommodate vessels up to 984 feet in length. It also offers extensive heavy cargo areas, 30.8 hectares of flexible berth space, expansive project areas and is adjacent to the Energy Transition Zone, the port noted.
“Our £400m investment in Aberdeen South Harbor positions the expanded port and the North East’s widest supply chain to play a pivotal role in Scotland’s next generation of offshore wind. We partner with industry and government to understand what is required of ports to support these projects and discuss how the expansion of Aberdeen Port can unlock value across the offshore wind lifecycle,” James concluded.
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Photo credit – iStock.com/TebNad
