The construction of the SeAH Wind Monopile Factory will create 1,500 jobs during the supply chain and construction phases, and an additional 750 jobs once fully operational in 2026. This project, in the Teesworks industrial zone, is the largest monopile factory in the world, spanning a 90-acre site. Its main structure is 800 meters long and has the capacity to produce monopiles weighing up to 3,000 tons, essential components for installing offshore wind turbines.
Sarens, global leader and reference in crane rental services, heavy lifting and engineered transport, is involved in the construction of the factory on behalf of its customer Severfield UK and the owner of the facility, SeAH.
To perform the diverse tasks at the facility, the Sarens engineering team selected a range of cranes, including seven LTR1100 units, with a load capacity of up to 100 tons, seven LR130 units, one LTM1750, two LTM1650s, which can lift up to 650 tons in a single load, as well as a CC2800 crawler crane. Sarens is using these cranes to lift structural parts and steel frames, which are being moved on site by self propelled modular transport.
The SeAH Wind monopile factory will play a crucial role in reducing the global carbon footprint through the production of components for offshore wind energy, one of the cleanest and most sustainable forms of power generation.
SeAH Wind has already established strategic agreements with offshore wind-power companies, such as Ørsted, to become the first and main customer for the monopile foundations manufactured at the U.K. facility. These partnerships are essential to ensure the long-term viability of the factory and to strengthen the offshore wind supply chain.
One of the main challenges of the job consists of the lifting site being exposed and susceptible to high winds. To address this issue, Sarens worked with the crane manufacturer to obtain a wind-speed increase based on the crane configuration, lifting criteria (radius, capacity, etc.), and load characteristics (sail area, weight, load coefficient).
Sarens has extensive international experience in the assembly and maintenance of wind farms. It has participated in installations around the world and particularly in Europe, as in France (Saint Nazaire and Saint Brieuc) and the U.K., where its last project is now successfully completed.
Recently, Sarens has worked in the marshalling of 62 of the monopiles, each weighing 2,000 metric tons, the largest and heaviest XXL monopiles ever to be handled in the U.K., and now the 882-MW Moray West offshore wind farm, is well on its way to contribute to the Scottish renewable energy network.
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