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FoundOcean has been awarded the contract to grout the 150
monopile foundations for the 600MW Gemini
Offshore Wind Farm, on behalf of main contractor
Van Oord. The project will be the first to use MasterFlow
9800, a revolutionary new material jointly developed
by FoundOcean and BASF.
MasterFlow 9800 possesses a unique combination of features
that makes it ideally placed to meet the specific requirements of the project;
it combines high strength, low shrinkage properties with the ability to
be stored and transported in bulk silos.
FoundOcean proposed the material based on its cutting-edge
properties. Sales Director Andy Venn states, “Whilst all projects are
different and each often presents demands that are specific to its location,
design or installation schedule, the offshore wind industry in general
faces a number of broader and more fundamental challenges, not least the
need to drive down costs. MasterFlow 9800 offers a significant step forward
in meeting these needs.”
The launch
of MasterFlow 9800 in February of this year was
the result of three years joint development between FoundOcean and BASF.
According to FoundOcean Managing Director Jim Bell, “FoundOcean and BASF
recognised the demand within the offshore wind industry for a material
that could provide high early strength development and low temperature
performance, yet also offer increased efficiency, safety and cleanliness”.
MasterFlow 9800’s ability to be stored in silos rather
than bags facilitates quayside storage in all weathers and eliminates the
requirement for bag or container lifting during grouting operations and
resupply. Moreover, using FoundOcean’s modified Recirculating Jet Mixer,
the new MasterFlow 9800 grout system can achieve consistent grout quality
whilst maintaining mixing and pumping rates exceeding 20m3/hr,
saving valuable offshore operating days.
Grouting for the Gemini
Offshore Wind Farm will take place in June 2015.
