Subsea 7's cutting-edge offshore wind foundation installation vessel, Seaway Alfa Lift, is making its way to Europe and is set to join Subsea 7's fleet in the third quarter of 2023. Designed by Ulstein, this semi-submersible heavy installation vessel is specially equipped for installing the next-generation XXL offshore wind foundations.

Originally ordered in 2018 by OHT on speculation, the newbuild heavy lift crane vessel, CMHI-207, later became part of Subsea 7's Seaway 7 branch. After being floated out from drydock at the China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) shipyard in Jiangsu, China, in February 2021, the vessel was initially scheduled for delivery the same year, with plans to debut in the UK offshore wind sector in 2022 for wind turbine foundation installations at the Dogger Bank wind farm.

However, an incident involving the crane in October 2021 led to a delay in delivery. Subsea 7 then deployed the Seaway Strashnov vessel for a full 2023 campaign, postponing Alfa Lift's initial project.

As of now, the mission equipment for monopile handling remains critical to the vessel's operational readiness for foundation monopile installation. Transport of the main elements of this equipment from China began at the end of 2022. Seaway Alfa Lift is en route to Europe, where the mission equipment will be completed and commissioned.

This semi-submersible vessel features a powerful 3,000 mt lifting capacity main crane, capable of performing heavy lift crane operations with the main deck submerged. It has the capacity to transport and install up to 10 x 1,500t ultra-large jacket foundations or 11 x 2,000t XXL monopiles with transition pieces for the largest anticipated wind turbine generators. With a maximum lifting capacity of 3,000 tonnes at 30 meters and 1,000 tonnes at 76 meters outreach, the 216.3-meter vessel also boasts a 10,000+ m² "smart deck" capable of carrying up to 14 giant monopiles per trip and can be fully submerged to a depth of 14.66 meters.

Subsea 7 announced on Wednesday that Seaway Alfa Lift is currently en route to Europe and will be added to their fleet in the third quarter of 2023. According to AIS data from VesselFinder, the vessel made a port call in Sri Lanka and is expected to arrive at Port of As Suways/Suez Port in Egypt on August 7.

Once the vessel reaches the Dogger Bank site, it is planned to be deployed for transition piece installation on Dogger Bank A & B and C from 2023 to 2025, while monopile installation will continue throughout the period with Seaway Strashnov. This revised plan, subject to final approvals, instills confidence in the project's financial estimates. Additionally, the construction of Seaway Ventus, a heavy-duty jack-up vessel suitable for turbine and monopile installation, remains on track.

The Dogger Bank offshore wind farm in the UK, developed in three phases by Equinor, SSE, and Vårgrønn, is expected to be the world's largest offshore wind farm with a capacity of 3.6GW once fully developed. Equinor announced that the first turbine components for installation at Dogger Bank are underway, with first power expected during the summer. Full commercial production for Dogger Bank A is anticipated in the third quarter of 2024, and the entire project is scheduled for completion in 2026.