Page 52: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2022)

TECH FILE WTIV / HEAVY LIFT

Friede & Goldman

STEADY LIFTING

A new WTIV feeder barge solution is engineered to make operations safer and more ef? cient.

By Eric Haun ffshore wind in the United A Houston-based naval architecture self-elevating installation vessel uses

States is moving forward at and marine engineering ? rm with de- its onboard jacking system to elevate, pace, thanks in large part to cades of experience in both maritime while also lifting the rack, and therefore

Oa number of positive devel- and offshore oil and gas has come up the feeder barge and its cargo, out of the opments for the newly emerging indus- with a solution engineered to make this water entirely. From this position, the try over the last year or so. For one, the process safer and more ef? cient. Friede main crane installs the turbine compo-

Biden administration at the start of 2021 & Goldman’s (F&G) BargeRack sys- nents directly from the stationary barge revealed its aim to have 30 gigawatts tem—patent pending—uses a trussed onto the turbine foundation. After tur- (GW) of offshore wind power in devel- rack ? tted to the transom of a self-ele- bine installation, the self-elevating unit opment by 2030 and 110 GW by 2050. vating vessel to lift feeder barges out of jacks down to submerge the rack and

Those are some big numbers, and the in- the water, thereby eliminating motions re? oat the empty feeder barge.

dustry is now getting in gear to produce. between the installation vessel and the In addition to eliminating the barge

It will take a large number of ves- barge while lifting and installing wind motion, Clague noted another advantage sels to help build up to reach these tar- turbine components. of the system is that the rack can load the gets, including both U.S.- and foreign- “Operators don’t want to lift turbine barge even after the jack-up is already ? agged tonnage. While it is true that the components off of a moving feeder ves- raised out of the water, reducing wear

Jones Act applies to U.S. offshore wind, sel. We’ve solved that problem by lift- and tear on the leg/hull interface. “On a it is expected that the industry will rely ing the entire vessel out of the water jack-up, once the legs are engaged with mostly on foreign ? agged wind turbine to completely eliminate the motions,” the seabed, you want to preload and get installation vessels (WTIV) working in explained Robert Clague, F&G’s vice the hull out of the water as soon as pos- combination with a ? eet of American- president of engineering. sible,” Clague said. “Once the legs touch built and -crewed feeder assets (such The BargeRack uses its own rack and bottom, even the minimal environment as tugs and barges, or potentially even pinion jacking system to lower verti- on the hull—waves and current—place specially designed ship-shaped feeder cally from the WTIV or jack-up into wear and tear on the legs, guides, jack- vessels) that will transport turbine com- the water. A feeder barge loaded with ing system, etc. - because all of that load ponents from the U.S. mainland for in- turbine components is ? oated over the from the hull travels through the leg/ stallation offshore. submerged rack and secured. Then, the hull interface down to the seabed. With 52 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • April 2022

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