Kongsberg to provide motion-compensated pile gripper for Alfa Lift

Due for delivery in 2021, Alfa Lift will be equipped with a 3,000-tonne main crane and will have a ‘smart deck’ that will enable it to transport and install 14 XL monopiles per voyage.

MacGregor will deliver a motion-compensated pile gripper frame for the vessel. Kongsberg’s pile gripper guidance system will integrate the gripper with other ship systems, including a Kongsberg K-Pos dual-redundant dynamic positioning (DP) system which will itself be integrated with a K-Chief marine automation system and K-Thrust thruster control system. Kongsberg is also supplying a K-Bridge integrated navigation system for the vessel, and key elements of Alfa Lift’s propulsion system.

Kongsberg Maritime sales director offshore Birger Evensen said, “Working closely with MacGregor, we have developed an innovative solution that improves the efficiency of foundation installation by replacing lengthy, temporary mooring processes with full DP, in combination with an integrated guidance system and hydraulic frame mechanism.

In August 2020, MacGregor was awarded a contract for delivery of equipment for the Alfa Lift vessel, which is being built at the China Merchants Heavy Industry shipyard in Jiangsu, China.

The deal – which is the largest single vessel contract secured to date by MacGregor – will see the company supply a monopile installation system. It is due to be delivered during Q4 2021.

The scope of supply includes engineering, procurement and construction of the monopile lifting, skidding and transfer system, which is an integral part of the installation process, undertaken by employing an upending tool and motion-compensated gripper frame.

The motion-compensated gripper frame will be closely interfaced with the vessel’s dynamic positioning (DP) and control system in an integrated solution developed jointly by MacGregor and Kongsberg Maritime.

You can find more about the challenges and advantages of installing monopiles on DP here.

You can find more about the Alfa Lift vessel here.