Osbit has secured a contract with Seajacks to design and build a monopile upending bucket, to be used by the vessel operator in its offshore wind turbine installation projects. The system will initially support the development of the large-scale, bottom-fixed Akita and Noshiro Offshore Wind Farms in Akita Prefecture, part of Japan’s renewable energy expansion being developed by Akita Offshore Wind Corporation (AOW), with Kajima Corporation as the project’s EPCI contractor.The monopile upending tool will be installed on Seajacks Zaratan vessel and has been optimised to suit the monopile diameter for the wind farm project. The pile upending system will be mounted on self-propelled modular transporters to extend the capacity of the vessel’s existing 800 tonne crane, enabling more efficient offshore pile driving. Key components for the Osbit design will be manufactured in the UK, with final assembly taking place in Singapore, to suit client requirements. The project is underway, and delivery is planned for Q1 2021.
