BigLift Shipping completed the transport of the first Hornsea 3 OCS topside from Thailand on 19 March 2025 using a massive SPMT setup, signifying a major advancement in the offshore wind project.
Following two years of intense planning, BigLift Shipping has successfully transported the inaugural topside for one of the world’s largest offshore wind projects—Hornsea 3—on behalf of Aibel, contracted by Ørsted.
The operation commenced in March 2022 with Aibel presenting the transport proposal to BigLift. After a year of meticulous coordination, the agreement was finalized in February 2023. The component in question is the Offshore Converter Station (OCS) topside—a critical element that converts high-voltage AC power into high-voltage DC for seamless transmission to the mainland.
The topside, towering at approximately 70 meters above sea level upon installation, arrived at Map Ta Phut, Thailand, on 19 March 2025. Following arrival, a week-long port preparation phase, including grillage installation, was carried out before the load-out. The sheer enormity of the structure necessitated the use of 380 axle lines of Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs), totalling 1,520 wheels, to safely manoeuver it onto the heavy-lift vessel.
This transportation milestone underscores BigLift Shipping’s capability to handle exceptionally large offshore modules and marks a pivotal step forward in the Hornsea 3 project’s progression.