Jumbo completes Yunlin windfarm transport

The Netherlands-headquartered shipping and offshore lifting and transportation specialist Jumbo, which operates a fleet of heavy lift vessels (HLVs), has completed the transportation part of its transport and installation contract for the Yunlin offshore wind farm in Taiwan.

21 intercontinental voyages were carried out over 18 months

Jumbo mobilised ships from its own HLV fleet, plus subcontracted deck carriers and HLVs from third parties, to transport 40 monopiles, 120 monopile sections and 40 transition pieces (TPs) from yards in the Netherlands and Germany to Taiwan.

Jumbo says that in addition to the transportation, it was involved in the project management of numerous key aspects of the project, including the engineering, design and fabrication management of the supporting and sea-fastening elements such as cradles, grillages and load spreader beams, procurement of additional equipment and services, as well as the chartering of third-party vessels.

Jumbo secured the Yunlin T&I contract with Yunneng Windpower Co. back in June 2019. Over the following 18 months, the transport of components required 21 intercontinental voyages, at times with 10 TPs per voyage.

On some voyages there were up to 10 TPs on board

Jumbo said that its successful completion of this first phase of the project confirms its position as a Tier I contractor in a major offshore wind farm construction project. Jumbo is now ready for the installation of 80 transition pieces. The company will again be working at the Tier I level, contracting additional support services such as monopile cleaning specialists and TP grouting teams.

Jumbo said it has also received interest from other Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) contractors active in the offshore wind farm installation market regarding working together.

“Our eye for detail in the early contractual stages enabled the smooth progress in execution of transport,” said Boudewijn van der Garden, Jumbo commercial manager specialised in offshore renewables. “We highlighted potential bottlenecks in the port logistics in Taiwan well in advance, tackling them in an open and candid fashion to safeguard our client. Moreover, we supported direct berthing at the fabrication yard in Germany; this saved a lot of time. We re-used the saddles and other sea-fastenings; this saved a lot of money.”

Jumbo is now ready for the installation of 80 transition pieces

Laurens Govers, Jumbo manager commerce shipping, said, “In providing total project logistics management, we have had very short communication lines with all the project participants. We have worked with an efficient mix between our own tonnage and the support rendered by our competitor-colleagues. At all times, our client has had direct contact with the asset holder. Furthermore, at all times, our decisions have been based on what was best for the project, thereby not focusing on short-term gains, but on building long-term relations. The fact that Jumbo is a family business is a contributing factor to this successful way of working.”