MPI Discovery installation vessel recommences operation at Rampion Offshore Wind Farm

MPI Offshore's own wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) MPI Discovery has recommenced work at the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm off the south coast of England, the Company said in its press release.

Working closely together with Swire Blue Ocean’s Pacific Orca, MPI Discovery will continue with the installation of 116 monopile foundations during the second half of 2016.

As a result of the black-bream-spawning season, installation activities were halted in late April as planned and only restarted at the beginning of July. This break in activities gave us the opportunity to complete a successful, periodic dry docking of MPI Discovery. Furthermore, during the same period the second installation vessel, Pacific Orca, was mobilised to join the foundation-installation campaign.

In addition to supplying one of the installation vessels, MPI, through MPI Consultants Ltd., is taking care of all project management, plus providing engineering and installation teams for both vessels. During the mobilisation of Pacific Orca, another MPI WTIV, MPI Resolution, was utilised for heavy-lift transportation of the Pacific Orca seafastenings.
Both MPI Discovery and Pacific Orca make use of the Verbrugge Scaldia Terminal in Flushing, the Netherlands, as loading port for monopiles and transition pieces.

The 400MW Rampion project is being built by E.ON, the UK Green Investment Bank plc and Canadian energy company Enbridge. It is due to be completed in 2018.

MPI Offshore, based in Stokesley (UK) and Breda (the Netherlands), has been pioneering the offshore wind-turbine-installation business since 2003, when the first dedicated wind-turbine-installation vessel, MPI Resolution, was delivered. During the past 13 years MPI has been involved in numerous windfarm construction projects in nearly all countries around the North and Baltic Seas.
MPI operates four dedicated wind-turbine-installation vessels, as well as a fleet of 14 workboats. In addition, MPI provides a range of engineering, consulting, manpower and equipment rental services.

MPI is a subsidiary of Vroon Group, a Dutch-based, diversified ship-owning group with an extensive North Sea offshore fleet.