Crane accident may delay delivery of Seaway 7 wind farm installation newbuild
Offshore wind contractor Seaway 7 may be looking at a potential delay in the delivery of its new foundation installation vessel Alfa Lift after an accident at Chinese yard China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI).
The Oslo-based firm said the incident involved the vessel’s main crane, specifically a foldable A-frame of the HLC 150000 3,000-tonne Liebherr crane that allows passage under bridges. No injuries were reported and what was described as an unplanned movement of the folding A-frame is under investigation.
The vessel was ordered by OHT in 2018, before its merger with Subsea 7’s renewables unit Seaway 7 earlier this year. It was launched in March and scheduled for delivery by the end of this year or in early 2022. The Liebherr crane was built in Germany and installed aboard the vessel in September.
“The incident is a matter between the shipyard and crane vendor, and it is too early to indicate if this will have an impact on the delivery schedule of the vessel,” said the company.
The Alfa Lift has already been contracted for transport and installation of the foundations for the Dogger Bank A and B offshore wind projects in the UK North Sea set to commence in 2022.
