Drydocks World has successfully lifted the 10,000-tonne section of the world’s largest high-voltage direct current (HVDC) offshore wind platform to a height of 52.8m above the dock bottom.
The topside of the first gravity base of the semi-submersible HVDC platform DolWin Beta was the heaviest of its kind to be lifted to such a height both onshore and in a dock.
DolWin Beta is currently under construction at Drydocks World’s Dubai shipyard. Once completed, the environmentally friendly system will act as a 900MW electricity transmission link, connecting offshore wind farms located near Helgoland in the German sector of the North Sea.
The heavy lift was conducted as part of a complex mating operation to combine the topsides of the platform with its substructure. The mammoth task, which started on 5 December 2013, initially involved lifting the topsides with strand jacks. These components were then carefully lowered onto the substructure, which was manoeuvred into position whilst floating in the dock. Once everything was in place, the team locked the various parts of DolWin Beta together.
“We have taken our engineering excellence to greater heights through this unique and remarkable feat,” said His Excellency Khamis Juma Buamim, chairman of Drydocks World and Maritime World. “It is a significant first and speaks volumes of our strengths in terms of technical capabilities. I am sure that the future will bring even more challenging assignments and we will handle them with equal ease.
“In the months ahead, we look forward to greater achievements in our operations, which will place us on par, if not ahead, with the best in the business,” he added.
