Mammoet to Marshal Monopiles for RWE Wind Projects

Mammoet has inked a contract with logistics firm Buss Ports to marshal some 116 monopile foundations weighing up to 1,700 tons a piece for two of Europe’s largest offshore wind farm projects.

The Dutch heavy-lift specialist will handle the units over the course of a year for the Nordseecluster A wind farm in Germany and the Thor wind farm in Denmark. Both projects are being developed by German power producer RWE.

Under the contract, Mammoet will manage the phased load-in, temporary storage and load-out of the monopiles at Buss Terminal Eemshaven in the Netherlands.

The monopiles – some measuring nearly 100 meters long – will be offloaded onto the quay using a roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) linkspan ramp and carried using self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) fitted with saddles. The trailers will then drive the units onto storage dunes, ready to be called off and shipped to the wind farms located in the German and Danish sections of the North Sea.

“This is a complex marshalling operation, with large components for both farms needing to be moved and managed on a single site,” said Wouten Santen, project manager at Mammoet.

“Combining our specialist heavy transport equipment with our engineering experience of monopile handling, we are delighted to support the development of these significant offshore wind projects concurrently.”

Monopile foundations are widely used in offshore wind. The units, which can weigh up to 2,500 tons, are driven deep into the seabed, typically in shallow to medium water depths up to about 50 meters, serving as a stable base for the turbine tower.


Mammoet will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Middle East on February 10-11 in Dubai.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mammoet