Huge wind farm vessel takes a bow in Nigg
A COASTAL community already used to welcoming massive vessels has said hello to another after the biggest wind turbine installation ship in the world stopped off ahead of its involvement in the construction on the Beatrice offshore wind farm.
The Pacific Orca arrived in the Cromarty Firth late last month to pick up the first turbines that will be installed as part of the huge renewables project in the Moray Firth.
It was still at the Nigg Energy Park on Friday as it prepared to head out into the firth with its cargo.
The £2.6 billion Beatrice wind farm will involve the installation of 84 turbines, providing 588MW of power once operational in 2019. It is being developed by Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (Bowl).
The first of its turbines are expected to be in place this summer.
Nigg Energy Park, the Port of Cromarty Firth and Wick harbour are all involved in the construction of the Beatrice project.
The Pacific Orca has a gross tonnage of 24,600 tonnes and was launched just six years ago. It uses huge jacks, which can extend up to 60 metres below the sea’s surface, to raise the hull into the air while it is installing the turbines.
Its most recent work involved construction of the new European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre near Aberdeen.
