SMC continue to deliver Ørsted structural inspections above water

Specialist Marine Consultants Ltd. (SMC), an OEG Group company, have been awarded two contracts by Ørsted to continue delivering Structural Inspections Above Water (SIAW) until 2026.

 

The first contract awarded pertains to Ørsted’s UK and Netherlands portfolio of sites, which includes 12 operational windfarms in the UK, with 3 in development, in addition to the Borssele 1 & 2 sites already operational in the Netherlands.

 

The second award relates to Ørsted’s German operation, with 4 sites already built and a further 2 under construction.

 

The SIAW contracts will see SMC continue to deliver inspection and maintenance works of external, internal and confined space areas of the foundation, transition piece and substation, having held similar contracts with Ørsted since 2018.

 

SMC’s Operations Director, Dean Coates, commented, “SMC and Ørsted have worked together and grown together since our first collaboration back in 2009.

 

We are genuinely thrilled to have been awarded these key contracts that further cement our position as a world-leading supplier of Inspection and Maintenance services to the offshore wind sector, and that demonstrate our capability to operate internationally.

 

Our focus on delivering safe and quality services, without compromise, has been key to our success to date and it will continue to be so as we move forward. It is reassuring to see the emphasis that Ørsted places on this shared commitment in what is a rapidly expanding sector, and we now look forward to maintaining these high standards with them for the years to come”.

 

Ørsted currently has 8.9GW of installed offshore wind capacity, with the ambition to install a total 50GW of renewable energy across various technologies by 2030.

 

For more information, visit www.orsted.com, or to learn more about SMC, see www.smchse.com.

SMC awarded Sofia Offshore Resources and Services Contract

Specialist Marine Consultants (SMC) have been awarded a contract from RWE’s Sofia Offshore Wind Farm to deliver Offshore Resources and Services for the duration of the project’s offshore construction, commencing in 2023.

 

The turnkey package of works is inclusive of a range of services, including above water offshore balance of plant works which includes statutory inspection and general maintenance of the TP, marine coordination resourcing, delivery of vessel inspections, project PPE management, specialist offshore construction resourcing, project consultancy support, and all associated project management.

 

SMC Managing Director Ian Coates commented, “We are extremely proud to win the Sofia construction services contract. It is a major achievement for the company and testament to the entire SMC team who work onshore and offshore.

 

SMC following on from the success of the Triton Knoll project, where SMC undertook similar works on behalf of RWE, have taken great care to ensure we continued to develop our offering and to cement our position as a ‘best in class’ supplier of our respective services.

 

Our recent achievements in this area, with solutions delivered to a range of clients globally, have allowed SMC to build and retain a strong team of specialists, focusing on local content and personnel development, something we know to have been a key priority for Sofia”.

 

Sofia’s General Site Manager (Offshore) Rob McLauchlin said he welcomes SMC to the project and is pleased to have a respected and experienced service provider join the Sofia team as it nears its next key phase of activity, offshore construction.

 

The 1,400MW Sofia offshore wind farm is located 195 kilometres from the UK’s coast on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea and is one of the largest single offshore wind farms in the world, as well as one of the farthest from shore. It will comprise 100 14MW turbines across a 593km2 site, which is roughly the same size as the Isle of Man.

 

For more information, visit www.sofiawindfarm.com

SMC Awarded CVOW Marine Coordination Package

After a competitive review process, Specialist Marine Consultants (SMC) was selected by Dominion Energy to deliver a package of Marine Coordination support encompassing consultancy, training, and lead Marine Coordination for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project.

Located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, the project will generate enough clean, sustainable energy to power up to 660,000 homes once fully constructed.

Installation of the project is scheduled to be complete in late 2026, with SMC contracted to deliver support for the duration of the construction phase.

SMC have now been awarded over 70 Marine Coordination contracts globally – this unrivalled level of experience, including direct experience in new and emerging markets, remains a significant factor in the company’s ability to deliver safe and efficient solutions.

Both Dominion Energy and SMC have made a commitment to drive the development of local skillsets over the next 4-year period and beyond, with SMC providing a robust training programme of practical and theoretical learning that shall dovetail seamlessly into the framework of local jobs established by Dominion Energy.

George Moore, Business Development Director at SMC commented: “We are beyond thrilled to be able to announce such a significant partnership in what is set to become a real powerhouse of an offshore wind market in the coming years.

After years of discussions with the Dominion Energy team, it has become abundantly clear that the values of our two companies are extremely closely aligned and as such, this is a project we are very much looking forward to working on.

Together with Dominion Energy, we are confident in delivering a safe project, and we will use our experience to create a truly local, American Marine Coordination workforce that will support the project for many years to come”.

“SMC brings its decades of experience in marine coordination to our CVOW project, helping us advance offshore wind to bring clean, renewable energy to our customers,” said Michael Lundsgaard, Dominion Energy director of offshore wind. “SMC will support the safe construction of CVOW while developing a robust offshore wind work force in Hampton Roads.”

To learn more about the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind projects, please visit www.coastalvawind.com

SMC hit 2022 Vessel Inspection century

At the halfway point of 2022, we are pleased to announce that we have successfully delivered over 100 vessel inspections to our clients around the world.

 

At SMC we offer a range of both industry certified and client specified vessel inspection services, and we maintain an employed contingent of accredited vessel inspectors (AVIs) whom we are able to mobilise extremely quickly in support of the needs of our customers.

 

To find out more about our vessel inspection solutions, visit our marine services page via the following link https://smchse.com/services/marine-services-marine-coordination-vessel-inspection-marine-consultancy/

 

For vessel inspection enquiries, contact us via our website: https://smchse.com/contact-us/

 

SMC Score Seagreen Balance of Plant

SMC have been awarded a contract to support Seagreen Wind Energy Limited (SWEL) with holistic balance of plant services to support multiple activities throughout the construction phase of the offshore windfarm’s development.

 

The scope of services to be delivered encompasses a comprehensive multi-scope package of resource, inclusive of a range of inspection, maintenance and repair services.

 

Seagreen Offshore Windfarm is a joint venture owned by SSE Renewables and Total Energies. The windfarm is located in the outer Firth of Forth and Firth of Tay region of the North Sea, approximately 17.5 nautical miles East-southeast of the Port of Montrose, where the project Marine Coordination Centre (MCC) is located for both construction and O&M.

 

Previously, in 2021, SMC were awarded a turnkey Marine Coordination contract in support of construction and commissioning operations across the Seagreen offshore windfarm.

 

To find out more about SMC’s Construction and Maintenance services, visit: https://smchse.com/services/construction-inspection-and-maintenance/

 

More information and updates on the Seagreen Offshore Windfarm can be found at: https://www.seagreenwindenergy.com/

Women In Maritime Day

Last week marked the International Maritime Organization running its inaugural #WomenInMaritimeDay

 

At SMC, we wholeheartedly support this initiative and, in keeping with its 2022 theme of improving the visibility of women within the industry, we are sharing an image of Faye, a Marine Project Manager at SMC who spent the past week visiting our clients and offshore teams currently operating out of France.

 

Faye joined SMC three years ago after successfully graduating university with a degree in modern languages, and has quickly become an integral part of the SMC Marine Department, supporting an array of projects throughout the UK, Europe and Asia.

 

Orsted Case Study: SMC Growth

Orsted represent one of our longest standing clients – we’ve grown with Orsted as they’ve established themselves as the market leading developer, and we’re proud to continue delivering best in class support to their operations globally.

 

As a means of emphasising this ever-flourishing relationship, Orsted have recently released a case study detailing the support of SMC, and the somewhat symbiotic success paths that our two companies have followed over the past decade or so.

 

Check out the link below to see more…

https://orsted.co.uk/insights/our-impact-in-the-humber-region/local-business-growth-case-study

 

Find out more about SMC and who we are below…

https://smchse.com/about-us-marine-coordination-statutory-inspection-balance-of-plant/

SMC Score Dogger Bank Marine Coordination Package

Specialist Marine Consultants (SMC) have been awarded a holistic Marine Coordination services contract to work on all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

 

SMC will deliver a turnkey Marine Coordination personnel solution in support of construction operations at what will become the world’s largest offshore windfarm when it’s completed in 2026.

 

George Moore, Business Development Director at SMC commented:

 

We have been involved in operations at Dogger Bank Wind Farm since the days of the Forewind consortium. Dogger Bank is a local project for us and has remained a key area of focus for the company over the years. Confirmation of this award represents our 16th active Marine Coordination contract to be undertaken during 2022 and reaffirms our position as the market leader in delivering Marine Coordination services.

 

Over the past couple of years, we have delivered a range of services to the project, and the decision by Dogger Bank Wind Farm to extend our relationship is testament to the level of service we have been able to deliver. We’re keen to keep building on this relationship over the coming months and years, supporting Dogger Bank Wind Farm in delivering a truly world leading project and what will become the UK’s largest single source of offshore renewable energy”.

 

For reference, the Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a joint venture partnership between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%), and Eni (20%).

 

SSE Renewables is leading on the development and construction of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, and Equinor will operate the windfarm on completion and during its expected operational life of around 35 years. SMC are currently supporting SSE Renewables with both Marine Coordination and Balance of Plant services during construction of the Seagreen offshore windfarm in Scotland.

 

Dogger Bank Wind Farm shall have a combined capacity of 3.6GW when completed and will be capable of powering 6 million UK homes. Visit https://doggerbank.com/ to find out more about the project, and https://smchse.com/ to learn more about SMC.

 

Dogger Bank Wind Farm facts:

 

The 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when completed in 2026.

 

It is being built in three 1.2GW phases: Dogger Bank A, B and C.

 

The project is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%).

 

SSE Renewables is lead operator for the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Equinor will be lead operator of the wind farm on completion for its expected operational life of around 35 years.

 

Financial Close on Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B was reached in November 2020, with Financial Close for Dogger Bank C reached in December 2021. Taken in aggregate, reaching Financial Close on all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm is the largest offshore wind project financing to date globally.

 

Consent for Dogger Bank Wind Farm was granted in 2015.

 

Each of the three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm secured 15-year CfD contracts for 1.2GW of low carbon power for of low carbon power production in the UK’s third CfD Allocation Round, announced September 2019.

 

In May 2021, Dogger Bank Wind Farm took another major step forward after passing a required delivery milestone under the UK’s Contracts for Difference scheme for low carbon power.

 

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is located in the North Sea, with each phase more than 130km from the Yorkshire Coast.

 

Onshore construction began in 2020 and is currently underway for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B, with offshore construction on Dogger Bank A due to begin in Q2 2022. First power is expected in Summer 2023 and Summer 2024 for Dogger Bank A and B, respectively, with commercial operations to follow around 6 months later.

 

Onshore cable installation civils works for Dogger Bank C will start in Q1 2022, with construction of the onshore convertor station to commence in Q2 2022. Offshore export cable installation will commence in Q1 2024 with offshore platform installation to commence in Q2, 2024. Foundation installation will commence in Q3, 2024 while turbine installation will commence in Q2, 2025.

First power is anticipated in Q3, 2025 and full power in Q1, 2026.

 

More than 3000 new UK jobs have been announced so far that will be supported by the construction and operation of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

 

These include up to 750 direct and around 1,500 indirect jobs associated with the set-up of a new world-class blade manufacturing facility on Teesside by LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy business, with production due to start in 2023.

 

470 jobs are expected to be recruited by GE Renewable Energy across the north east of England in support of the delivery and operation of all three phases of the project. These will be made up of around 300 skilled roles for turbine installation and commissioning activities and 170 servicing roles at Port of Tyne under GE’s five-year Service and Warranty Agreements for Dogger Bank phases A, B and C once operational.

 

At least a further 30 roles will be hired by Equinor as operator of the wind farm, based at the Port of Tyne or offshore.

 

170 new full-time UK-based jobs will be created by North Star Renewables in crewing and shore-based roles for the operation of the service fleet for Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

 

Up to 100 peak construction jobs will be created by Jones Bros. Civil Engineering, one of the UK’s leading civil engineering contractors, on the installation of onshore cable infrastructure for Dogger Bank A and B.

 

Dogger Bank A and B has confirmed GE’s Haliade-X 13MW as the turbine powering the first two phases of the project. As the first order for the Haliade-X 13MW, installation at Dogger Bank A will be the first time the turbine is installed in the world.

 

Installation of GE’s upscaled Haliade-X 14MW turbine at Dogger Bank C will be the first time the 14MW turbine is installed in the world.

 

One rotation of the Haliade-X turbine blades can power one UK home for more than two days.

 

The wind turbines will be installed on monopile foundations.

 

Dogger Bank will be the first High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) connected wind farm in the UK due to its distance from shore, introducing new transmission systems to the UK and paving the way for other large offshore wind farms.

 

For more information about Dogger Bank Wind Farm visit www.doggerbank.com

SGRE Awards SMC 3rd Party Offshore Resource Contract

SMC have been awarded a contract to support Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) with 3rd Party Offshore Resource provision throughout their UK project portfolio.

 

SMC have supported SGRE (formerly Siemens Wind Power) operations since 2009, delivering solutions throughout the UK, EU and Asia to date, primarily in support of offshore commissioning works, however this latest award sees SMC and SGRE strengthen ties across their respective service divisions.

 

George Moore, Business Development Director at SMC commented, “we are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to build upon what is already a strong and productive relationship. Over the course of recent years, we have made significant strides within the offshore O&M market and the award of this contract further validates our position as a leading O&M service provider. We look forward to working with Siemens Gamesa in establishing a robust team of professionals whom they can call upon to deliver a truly ‘best in class’ service for the years to come”.

 

Initially, SMC will be deploying personnel to the London Array and East Anglia One offshore windfarms, both sites in which we have a strong track record through provision of Offshore Resource, QHSE, Balance of Plant, and Marine Coordination solutions.

 

To learn more about SMC Recruitment Services, see https://smchse.com/services/recruitment-services/

 

Visit https://www.siemensgamesa.com/en-int to learn more about SGRE operations.

Orsted UK Statutory Inspection, Service and Maintenance

SMC have been awarded a multi-year framework agreement to support Orsted with Statutory Inspection, Service and Maintenance works across their UK collection of offshore windfarms.

 

This is the second successive framework awarded to SMC for these works in the UK and, following on from the award of a similar contract within in the EU issued to SMC in 2021, highlights the strength of service we have been able to deliver to Orsted throughout what is a growing portfolio of offshore wind projects.

 

Dean Coates, Operations Director at SMC commented, “we are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue supporting Orsted with these essential services. We have placed significant emphasis on driving forward a solution based on the highest standards of quality and safety, and the collaborative nature of our relationship with Orsted has allowed us to build a truly best in class statutory inspection division. Moving into 2022 and beyond, we’re really excited by the opportunity to further develop our people, service offering, and working relationship with Orsted, in keeping with our commitments to maintain our position as the ‘gold standard’ for offshore inspection and maintenance services”.

 

Visit https://smchse.com/services/construction-inspection-and-maintenance/ to find out more about our inspection and maintenance services.

 

Visit https://orsted.co.uk/ to learn more about Orsted.

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