Wind Energy – Vibro Lifting Tool
The world’s most powerful Vibro Lifting Tool, the CAPE VLT-640 Triple, has completed its work at the Kaskasi II Offshore Wind Farm.
CAPE Holland is looking back on a performance of the CAPE VLT with no mechanical breakdown of the equipment which was for 90% newly built and contained numerous innovations.
For the first time ever, flanged monopiles have been upended, lifted and vibrated with CAPE Holland’s patent pending flange clamping system.
A lot of work went into preparation for the project since the initial stages, which started in 2016 and the consequential contract award from Seaway 7 in 2020.
After a short learning curve, Seaway 7 used the CAPE VLT to drive a new type of monopiles with Self Expanding Pile Shoe (SEPS). Although the monopiles where not vibrated to end depth, new insights and data have been collected via a newly developed monitoring, logging and survey system.
Seaway 7 confirmed the great control of the installation process with the CAPE VLT at Dynamic Positioning.
Wouter van Dalen, Senior Project Manager at Seaway 7: “The CAPE VLT was an essential part of the Kaskasi installation spread. The tool enabled Seaway 7 to upend and install monopiles in a single lift to stable penetration depths, therewith reducing installation times and risks.”
Frits Laugeman, Project Director at RWE Renewables: “We regret that the CAPE VLT was only used on Kaskasi on a reduced number of seven monopiles. As a consequence, the tool may not have been able to show its full potential in installing monopiles.”
Laurens de Neef, CEO at CAPE Holland: “We like to thank both RWE and Seaway 7 for their trust in CAPE Holland and the co-operation during the project even though the installation scope of the project was significantly reduced by Seaway 7 compared to the original plan. We look forward to our next European wind project later this year where the CAPE VLT will be upending and partly installing flanged monopiles, followed by our first offshore wind project in Japan with the CAPE VLT.”
