'Wire broke': Saipem probes crane incident that left giant offshore wind vessel listing
Saipem 7000 now in 'stable and safe position' as contractor investigates accident off Norway
Offshore contractor Saipem is investigating a crane accident aboard its Saipem 7000 vessel that is being used for installation work on some of Europe’s largest offshore wind projects.
The vessel was undergoing planned five-year crane load testing off Norway on 14 April when two cargo barges being lifted fell to the water, causing the ship to temporarily list. Nobody was hurt during the incident.
“Further to a preliminary assessment, it would appear that the main block wire broke during the test lifting operation,” Saipem said in a statement. “The unit, after an initial tilting caused by the load release, promptly returned in a stable position and safe condition. A crane assessment is ongoing,” the Italian contracting group added.
The Saipem 7000 has in recent months been on duty off Scotland installing foundations for the 1.1GW Seagreen 1 wind farm for SSE and TotalEnergies.
The Saipem 7000 was in 2020 lined up for a trio of major offshore wind deployments under deals worth a combined $100m, with the 3.6GW Dogger Bank project off eastern England, Seagreen 1 and pioneering French project Saint Brieuc all featuring.
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