Sarens marshalling components for Hai Long offshore wind farm
Heavy-lift and engineered transport specialist Sarens has been contracted by CSBC-DEME Wind Engineering (CDWE) for the marshalling of offshore wind turbine foundation components for the Hai Long Offshore Wind Farm project in Taiwan.
The Hai Long project is installing 73 wind turbines in the Taiwan Strait, where they will produce a cumulative 1GW of electrical power once fully developed. With a 14MW capacity each, they are the largest turbines to be installed in Taiwan.
For this assignment, Sarens is marshalling 156 pin piles that have been manufactured in South Korea. The Sarens SPMTs are accepting delivery of the piles and placing them in storage on land in a marshalling yard. Subsequently, when they are ready for installation, the SPMTs are transporting them to the dock so that the crane of Green Jade, CDWE’s heavy-lifting installation vessel, can hoist them on board.
Sarens is set to receive and transport 52 three-legged jackets. Using a RORO system, Sarens will drive the jackets from the vessel to the shore, store them, and then return them to the quayside when the installation vessel is prepared to lift them onboard. Sarens’ team and equipment have been providing assistance for this project since early 2024 and will continue to be involved until the second half of 2025.
Paying attention to the load-bearing capacity
As a single wind turbine jacket can weigh up to 2,400 tons, Sarens focused on the load-bearing capacity of the quayside, engineering load-spreading solutions to make sure neither the port facilities nor the equipment are damaged.
“Sand dunes” were chosen as a long-term storage solution for the pin piles, with steel girders used for short-term storage load-in and load-out. Steel I-beams and steel mats were used to provider proper load spreading for the jackets.
Sarens developed a special handling frame to transport the three-legged jackets, which required a frame that could lift each of the legs spaced 32 meters apart without the use of extra jacks. Custom end-caps were designed to accommodate different leg lengths and function as “shoes” for the jacket during transport and storage.
Facing the challenges
Sarens is using a 44-axle line SPMT configuration to transport the pin piles and a 104-line SPMT configuration to transport the jackets. The trailers manoeuvre between girders and across sand dunes. The challenge, according to Sarens is driving the SPMT onto the vessel, positioning it below the jacket for lifting, and then crossing a RORO bridge onto land. Coordination between the SPMT operator and the vessel captain is crucial to maintain the deck’s level as the SPMTs drive off. Once on land, the crew must perform a 180-degree turn and then place the jacket on its supports.
The equipment has been meticulously chosen, the operation carefully planned, and the staff selected for their expertise. However, there are still obstacles to overcome when working on a complex project like this one. Patience is crucial above all else: when dealing with large steel pieces, rushing can lead to major problems if anything goes awry.
Another significant challenge is the weather. The project is expected to last over a year, but as with all offshore projects, the weather often dictates the pace. Taiwan’s monsoon season typically starts around mid-May or early June and continues through September or October. This brings heavy rainfall and extremely humid conditions, which make operations challenging.
During the engineering design phase, Sarens was well aware of Taiwan’s position along the Pacific Rim of Fire, an area prone to powerful earthquakes and home to 75 per cent of the world’s volcanoes. This awareness was crucial for their work in this region.
