MPI Offshore has been contracted the blade upgrade campaign on 127 of the 175 turbines of the London Array offshore wind farm. A full turn key contract which also involved the decommissioning, commissioning and subsequent 500 hour service of the Wind Turbine Generators (WTG’s).

Offshore installation vessel MPI Adventure was deployed to  undertake the blade repair and upgrade works on the site, which enabled the blades to be removed, upgraded and re-installed in one visit by the jack-up.

These works were needed because the wind turbines have been affected by leading edge erosion. During the campaign, MPI Offshore dismantled the blades, applied a protective shell and installed an aerodynamic improvement kit to increase the yield. In addition, general repairs were carried out on the blades as identified and agreed when the blades were inspected on the vessel deck.

The repair campaign was carried out safely, expending over 500,000 manhours with no lost time incidents throughout the 12 month duration.

MPI Adventure

Offshore installation vessel MPI Adventure, is a purpose-built vessel for installing offshore wind turbines, foundations and transition pieces. The vessel has been mobilised with a bespoke deck spread to allow the removal, upgrade and reinstallation of wind turbine blades in the field without any requirement for a port call. This was achieved using a temperature controlled habitat on the vessel deck capable of housing the 3 blade tips in which the leading edge protection shells could be installed.

The London Array blade upgrade campaign is the first project undertaken by MPI Adventure as part of the Van Oord organisation. The process of removal, upgrade and installation of blades from a vessel deck as part of a full turnkey operation places MPI Offshore at the forefront of the industry.