COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers has been selected to transport monopiles for the Moray West offshore wind project. The company will deploy two of its X-class vessels in 2022 to move the components from China to the Moray Firth, Scotland. 

In its statement, the company noted that the deal underscores its continued support of offshore wind development. The Moray West project will be located over 22 km from the Moray Council coast in the northeast of Scotland. The project’s rapid deployment plan is targeting installation of the SG 14-222 DD machines in 2024, and overall production capacity of 882 MW. First power is expected to be produced in 2024. Moray West will thus serve as the first serial installation of Siemens Gamesa’s massive 14 MW machine.

The deal announcement with COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers comes only days after the Moray First project’s supply chain was finalised, with a contract between the project developers and Global Energy Group, the owner and operator of the Port of Nigg.

Under the contract, two J-tube frames that will be attached to the two foundations holding the offshore substation platforms will be fabricated at the Port of Nigg. The units come in at 37 meters in length and eleven metres in diameter.