ALUCOR Delivers Turnkey Equipment for DEME’s DP3 Vessel Orion
ALUCOR was awarded a turnkey project for an in-line upending system for DEME’s DP3 vessel Orion in May 2021. The project included the complete design, manufacturing, assembly, testing, transport, and commissioning of a fully automated XXL monopile cradle and outboard telescopic catching tool. ALUCOR worked in close collaboration with DEME and other supply chain partners throughout the project to deliver a functional system which was installed and commissioned on Orion within 12 months of its order date. Achieving this aggressive delivery schedule allowed DEME to successfully perform the installation of record breaking XXL monopiles using the equipment supplied by ALUCOR for its Arcadis OST 1 project.
The equipment features a fully automated “Infinite Positioning System” by using a combination of hydraulics and Screw-jack technology. This future proof system accommodates any monopile diameters from 6.5 to 12 meters while keeping the center line constant to allow tandem operation with a motion compensated pile gripper. The fully automated diameter adjustments are also supported by in-line skidding system for the Cradle and Telescopic catching tool allowing adjustment for length from the shortest pile to the XXL. A fully automated system to counteract nautical acceleration and temperature changes allows for transportation of the monopile from port to site safely. The telescopic catcher also featured a folding function to allow for pile and vessel maneuvering in port. The engineering teams at ALUCOR worked closely with its design partners to design and engineer the equipment keeping the industry wide supply chain constraints in consideration. In the early stages of design, the engineering teams were required to freeze key requirements, allowing procurement teams to secure long lead materials with supply chain partners within the budgeted schedule.
With progressive design releases, ALUCOR started the manufacturing and assembly of the equipment weighing approximately 1,400 tons in September 2021. ALUCOR automated a significant portion of the detailed drawing generation, part nesting and part cutting process to expedite the manufacturing without any significant errors. Furthermore, all parts used in the project were tagged with QR codes allowing the shop floor teams to achieve a swift and speedy manufacturing process. Utilizing its in-house fabrication shops and machine shops with full CNC machining capability, the ALUCOR team of over 220 employees including 80 welders, completed the fit-up, welding and fabrication of all major components in January 2022. An assembly crew of over 90 personnel worked tirelessly to modularize sub-assemblies, plan critical lifts weighing as much as 700 tons each, and complete all mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and control system assembly, installation and testing works within a six-week period. The completed assemblies were loaded using 2,000 ton capacity floating cranes in Jebel Ali Port in Dubai on to transport vessels for shipment to Netherlands in February 2021.
The shipment arrived in Netherlands in March 2021, and the final equipment was safely assembled and commissioned onboard the Orion vessel within a short five-week period. Using ALUCOR’s upending system in tandem with the Huisman motion compensated gripper and the Liebherr 5,000-ton heavy lift crane, DEME started its monopile installation for Parkwind in May 2022 and successfully installed XXL monopiles weighing as much as 2,000 tons in record time for the Arcadis Ost 1 project.
