Boskalis has extensive experience in seabed preparations aimed at protecting the seabed itself and the offshore wind farm-related assets placed in and on it. This involves the installation of materials such as rock and sand to protect cables as well as the placement of loose rock material near structures in order to prevent local seabed deepening. Our added value also lies in our wide range of construction and installation vessels that execute the work in an efficient and expedient manner.
Seabed rock installation
Wind turbine foundations, substations and power cables need to be protected against seabed erosion, anchors and fishing nets. Our DP2 fallpipe vessels are able to accurately install rocks of all sizes at various depths and close to installed structures, while pre-lay and/or post-lay rock berms are installed to protect cables.
Our specialized vessels are equipped with a flexible fallpipe system which can reach depths of up to 1,500 meters. These relatively large vessels can load a volume of up to 24,000 tons.
Gravity-based structures (GBSs)
Before gravity-based structures (GBS) can be installed, the seabed needs to be prepared by removing the soft top layer and/or installing a gravel bed. This ensures stability and accurate positioning of the GBS. We are able to develop and install solid ballast solutions, also for floating wind foundations, to keep the structures safe in even the harshest weather conditions.
We manage the procurement of materials, the loading of the fallpipe vessels and the transport and installation of rock to reduce our client’s interfaces.
