The first wind turbine jacket foundation has been installed at the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm, 15.5km off the east coast of Scotland.
Following the arrival of the first ten steel jackets on site, Saipem, through its subcontractor Heerema, lifted the first steel wind turbine jacket into place, lowering it onto pre-installed piles on the seabed.
The offshore support vessel Normand Navigator then moved into place to carry out subsea grouting and inspections to finish the installation.
Matthias Haag, NnG Project Director, said: "The installation of the first of a total of 54 turbine jacket foundations is a significant milestone for the NnG project and builds on the progress of the first of two offshore electricity substations installed in June this year. The collaborative effort in installing the jacket was a great success, and we remain on course for the others to be installed over the coming months."
NnG, jointly owned by EDF Renewables and ESB, will supply enough low carbon electricity for around 375,000 households. It has a capacity of around 450 megawatts (MW) of low carbon energy and will offset over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
The first turbines should be up and running by mid-2023, and the whole wind farm should be completed by 2024.