Seaway Heavy Lifting (SHL) has awarded BAUER Renewables Ltd. (BRL) a subcontract to design, build, test and operate specialized equipment – the BAUER Dive Drill C40 – to execute relief drilling services for the foundation piles at the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm.
SHL will install 84 jackets for the foundation of the Beatrice Wind Turbines. Each jacket sits on four piles. The soil conditions are described to be sand and hard clay with occasionally boulders. Relief drilling may be used when a pile hits early refusal during driving. At that time top of pile will be most likely below water table. The BAUER Dive Drill C40 will be lifted into the pile, clamp itself to the inside and drill down to pile tip or a certain distance beyond to remove obstructions and to relief the pile from the inside friction. After recovery of the Dive Drill C40 pile driving resumes to drive the pile to final depth.
The Dive Drill C40 is designed for fast launch and recovery and optimum drilling speed. BRL is the UK subsidiary of BAUER Spezialtiefbau GmbH, a German foundation construction specialist working worldwide. The equipment will be supplied by BAUER Maschinen GmbH, another member of the BAUER Group.
"We are extremely pleased to be involved in such an outstanding project," says Paul Scheller, Managing Director of BAUER Renewables Ltd. "The contract marks a further important step for us in the future market of renewable energies and shows that, with our know-how and technology, Bauer is also optimally prepared for challenging foundation projects in the offshore sector."
Source: BAUER
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