The Scottish supply chain is playing a significant role in the development of the NnG offshore windfarm, and we’ve been showcasing a number of companies and the part they are playing in the project’s construction.
In the latest of our series, we’ve been focusing on the Scottish companies sub-contracted to work on the project by our tier one contractors.
Ashtead Technology, headquartered in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, has been supporting Saipem with various work scopes during the construction and installation phase of the NnG offshore windfarm, in the Firth of Forth.
Established in 1985, Ashtead Technology is a leading provider of equipment rental solutions, advanced underwater technologies and support services to the global energy sector. The company employs more than 200 people internationally with around half of the employees based at their two sites in Scotland.
With a growing track record in the delivery of offshore wind projects, the renewables energy market now accounts for over 30% of Ashtead Technology’s turnover.
Ross Macleod, Ashtead Technology’s Technical Director, said: “Based on our technology and know-how needed to solve underwater survey, mechanical and asset integrity challenges, Ashtead Technology is increasingly supporting offshore renewables projects ranging from pre-survey and installation support through to O&M and decommissioning.
“We were initially awarded a contract by Saipem for borehole inspection. However, based on the successful delivery of the initial stages of this campaign, we are now also providing the underwater services and technology to support borehole internal casing cleaning, grouted pile installation and subsequent grout level monitoring.
“For the borehole inspection work scope, we used our in-house design and manufacturing expertise to develop a bespoke inspection tool that could be deployed from a vessel to inspect and survey the drilled sockets for the foundation jackets, to a depth of 100 metres. In addition, we engineered solutions for dredging the socket base, jet cleaning the upper socket casing, and removing any debris remaining inside the casing before the grouting commences.
“The monitoring scope involved the development of a bespoke autonomous monitoring system with sacrificial grout sensor arrays to enable the real time monitoring of the grouting process. The system indicates when piles are grouted to the correct elevation within the socket ensuring complete foundation integrity.
“Winning these contract awards is evidence of our capabilities across the offshore energy sector and our ability to deliver cost-effective, reliable and safe solutions for our customers.”