Floating hotel for offshore wind farm

A new vessel operated by Visser and Smit, the Smit Constructor, also arrived on site recently. The Constructor is carrying out secondary work in support of the wind farm construction, installing X-beams, bellmouths, J-tubes and PE pipes which provide the infrastructure required for the connections between the turbines and the substations for the transfer of electricity generated. The Constructor is also equipped for the necessary diving work involved in these operations. There are currently 61 persons on board, in addition to the 162 on board Oleg Strashnov.

Commissioning work on the two offshore substations has begun, and typically there will be around 20 commissioning engineers on each substation during the hook-up and commissioning phase. The maximum number possible per substation is 24.

To accommodate the commissioning team during this phase a floating hotel, or flotel, called the Wind Ambition, will shortly be arriving. Measuring 162m long and 28m wide, with a crew of 60 on board, Wind Ambition can accommodate 137 sleeping guests.

Formerly named King of Scandinavia, the vessel served as a ferry on a route between Harwich/Newcastle UK and Esbjerg in Denmark for a number of years. During the remainder of the construction period the Flotel will accommodate around 80 people at any one time, as the wind farm workers use it as their base during their offshore rotas. Until the arrival of the Wind Ambition, approximately 35 people per day have been transported to and from the wind farm via Wells Outer Harbour to carry out jobs offshore, so the Flotel will provide accommodation right next to the site, minimising traffic in and out of Wells Harbour.

In support of these vessels and the construction activity, various personnel transfer boats including the high speed craft Vidar and the guard vessel Observer will operate in the field. The larger vessels such as the Oleg Strashnov will also be supported by anchor handlers, including the tugs Boulder and Typhoon.

The development of the Sheringham Shoal construction activity will typically involve around 400 people working offshore during a week.