Framo, a pumping systems supplier for the marine industry, will supply suction bucket pumping systems for Ørsted’s Greater Changhua Offshore Wind Project foundations in Taiwan.
The Framo systems will be produced at the company’s factory at Flatøy outside Bergen, Norway. Framo, in collaboration with geotechnical expertise from the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, will deploy its offshore personnel to oversee and manage the suction operation at sea.
Ørsted´s 920 MW Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind projects are located 35 km to 60 km from the Changhua coast in Taiwan. The delivery is scheduled for early 2025.
“We are proud to be chosen as partner in the Greater Changhua projects,” says Hans Petter Arnesen, area manager, renewable energy, at Framo.
The technology of suction bucket foundation has secured and safely anchored platforms and offshore installations around the world for years. Larger wind farms use this technology on jackets to overcome variable soil conditions while gaining faster installation speed and avoidance of pile-driving noise.
“Framo pumping solutions have been critical in marine and offshore operations for more than 50 years. This order further strengthens our position in the fast-growing renewable energy market,” adds Arnesen.
Compared with installing monopiles, suction bucket technology has a more environmentally friendly footprint, with its concept providing for easier decommissioning as well as increased installation speed, the company says.
In 2018, Framo and NGI successfully installed 20 suction bucket jackets at Ørsted’s Borkum Riffgrund 2 wind farm.
