THE NETHERLANDS - Following TenneT's investigation of the damage the Hollandse Kust (Zuid) Beta topside sustained during storm Corrie, the platform should be installed at the end of March or early April.

TenneT has had investigations carried out on the jacket (substructure) that was damaged in January during storm Corrie by a collision with the adrift vessel Julietta D. The investigation shows that the damage to the jacket is limited. The damaged parts of the jacket can be repaired at a later stage after topside installation.

TenneT expects the Hollandse Kust (Zuid)Beta topside to be installed at the end of March or early April.

On Monday, 31 January, the freighter Julietta D. was adrift due to storm Corrie in the area where TenneT is building two transformer platforms: Hollandse Kust (Zuid) Alpha and Beta. These transformer platforms are part of the offshore connection of wind farm Hollandse Kust (Zuid), constructed by Vattenfall. The cargo ship collided with the Beta jacket. No people were working at the platform at that moment.

Inspections of the damage could not be carried out immediately due to the persistent stormy weather in February. In addition to the inspection of visible damage above water, underwater investigations were also carried out to determine any damage to the substructure.

The investigation now shows that the damage is limited to paint damage and a few dents on one of the legs of the platform and damage to one of the four landing platforms for working vessels.

"When designing and building our jackets, scenarios are taken into account that a ship of limited size may collide with the jacket," said Joris Engelen, TenneT's Platform Project Lead. "After the initial fright of the collision, we set up and implemented an extensive investigation plan in cooperation with the parties involved."

"The jacket is expected to be in operation for many years. We are therefore relieved that the inspections and the investigations show that we can install the top side of the transformer platform on the jacket safely and as scheduled. After the top side has been installed, the repairs of the damages on the jacket can be carried out," added Engelen.

The top side is currently being shipped to its destination in the North Sea. TenneT expects that the top side can be installed at the end of March or beginning of April.

Source: TenneT