Mobilisation of the JD Assister with T3200 Trencher
Project info:
Distance
3200 Miles
Weight
170 Tonnes
Location
Blyth
Destination
Connecticut
Harlyn Instructed by Enshore Subsea
The trencher was prepared at the trenching contractor’s base at Port of Blyth, and it has now been transported to the USA for use in an offshore wind farm project.
The T3200 trencher plays a vital role in the project and will be used to carry out the hard ground trenching services. Our task was to mobilise the machine and its associated spread of control rooms, generators, stores and Passive Heave Compensator to the vessel.
Collaboration & Planning
The challenge:
Complex Mobilisation Process
The mobilisation of the T3200 trencher and its associated equipment required meticulous planning and adaptability to overcome the dynamic challenges of a demanding operation.
Risk Management for Subcontractors
Managing health and safety responsibilities for a diverse team of hydraulic and electrical subcontractors involved on a 24 hour basis over the span of the project including 60+ active workforce.
Coordination of Complex Lifting Operations
The project involved multiple complex lifts, including heavy equipment installation and the integration of a Passive Heave Compensator through combined lifting and skidding operations.
Flexibility in Planning
The need for a dynamic and flexible approach was critical to account for changing circumstances, ensuring both safety and efficiency during the project.
The solution:
Utilising the Enshore Deck plan and steel work, Harlyn performed all activities from preassembly to testing. This included all hotworks, lifting, planning and QHSE site management. Our health & safety responsibilities extended to the team of hydraulic and electrical subcontractors, and we carried out the relevant risk assessments and safety checks to minimise the risk associated with their work.
This required meticulous planning, and we had to build flexibility into the plan to adapt to the changing circumstances that come with a difficult mobilisation like this. With this careful consideration and planning, the T3200 trencher was loaded effectively, while maximising the performance of the vessel after successful load test of the equipment. We carried out many complex lifts during the mobilisation, from the installation of heavy equipment to the combined lifting and skidding operation to install a Passive Heave Compensator.
These projects inherently carry a level of risk. One of our promises to our clients is to manage the risk as safely and effectively as possible on all projects. For this project, we contracted separately with specialist partners, and we retained multiple cranes and personnel. This meant that we had high uptime for lifting activities, hotworks and electrical work. However, we were able to flex up and down with the requirements of the project and manage the risk sensibly.
Outcome
Complex Project Completed Successfully
Over the course of 10 days, Harlyn engineers, project managers and subcontractors worked day and night shifts to complete the mobilisation. As a fast and efficient team, working around the clock, we were able to complete the mobilisation within tight deadlines and maintain a very high bar for the QHSE performance on the project. Managing this number of different contractors on site to our own QHSE standards is a difficult challenge.
The trencher is now safely in the US and the project was completed smoothly and effectively.
The planning and execution of the mobilisation and demobilisation were highly efficient. Harlyn’s team is professional, knowledgeable, and approachable, making collaboration straightforward. Both jobs were completed safely and methodically, with a strong focus on risk management. For each phase several complex lifts were successfully executed, requiring multiple steps and precise coordination, all of which were handled with skill and attention to detail. Their adaptability and problem-solving approach ensured the process ran smoothly. I’d be happy to work with them again in the future.
Daniel Fraser - Enshore Project Manager
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