Wind Energy – Upending Hinge
Offshore wind technology supplier Osbit has successfully delivered a monopile upending hinge to Boskalis to support its latest US East Coast operations.
The hinge is initially being used by Boskalis on a project to install a significant number of monopile foundations.
The hinge is designed to upend offshore wind monopile foundations from their horizontal, stowed position, until they are vertical, securely restraining the pile against environmental loading throughout the process as it rotates through the water column.
The system handles monopiles with a wide range of diameters to maximise Boskalis’ opportunities on future wind farms. The hinge itself weighs in at 1,500 tonnes when fully assembled.
The system is installed on Boskalis’ Bokalift 2 crane vessel and is forming a vital part of the monopile installation process, working in tandem with the vessel’s crane to ensure the foundations are manipulated in a safe and controlled manner, prior to hammering into the seabed.
