Wind energy – innovation
Jan De Nul Group has selected Imeca for the delivery of a highly advanced electrical Motion-Compensated Pile Gripper for its new floating installation vessel Les Alizés.
The tailor-made gripper, with an integrated X-Laboratory guidance and survey system, will allow safe and efficient installation of next-generation monopiles with pin-point accuracy.
Gripper delivery is planned for H2 2022 and this new mission equipment helps to future proof Jan De Nul Group foundation installation capability.
Jan Van De Velde, Head of Newbuilding Department: “It is our continued philosophy to focus on operational efficiency, with improving safety as the main objective. For this innovative Motion-Compensated Pile Gripper we have challenged our suppliers to meet our functional requirements. Imeca is an experienced system integrator with a solid offshore track record, and will form a strong team with its complimentary partner X-Laboratory, known for its innovative plug-and-play control solutions for offshore wind applications. With this gripper investment, we stay one step ahead in offering the renewables industry a one-stop-shop installation solution.”
The Imeca gripper will have some very unique features that will increase operational control during the installation process, including an integrated survey system that enables continuous monitoring of the monopile from insertion into the gripper to hammering completion. This will considerably improve the control over the monopile and will positively affect the decision-making process between operational steps.
Thanks to the X-Laboratory Guidance System’s embedded emergency recovery control mode, the gripper will be able to control the monopile even in the hypothetical absence of the DP system and thrusters. The gripper will operate autonomously to keep the monopile and vessel stable, long enough to return all systems to a safe state.