Wind power construction moves from ground to sea, significantly increasing difficulty

As wind power construction will be moving increasingly from ground to sea in the future, developers should account for the fact that construction in water is always demanding. The developer consultant ensures that the requirements and goals of the project are clearly and comprehensively defined so that the end result will meet the customer’s requirements and stays within the planned budget.

Construction in waterways differs from construction on land in many ways. Weather conditions and changes to them can be sudden and sometimes even extreme. Occupational safety and the management of these conditions are factors that must be kept in mind at all times. Work site equipment and activities must ensure that nobody is thrown into the water, for example. The project requires special tools and equipment, such as diving gear, tugboats and platforms.

“In the work of Welado specialists, the customer appreciates experience with working in waterways or at sea. Only through experience are we able to correctly define the requirements and ensure a good and desired end result for the project. Before moving to Welado, I myself acquired four years of experience in the renovation of lighthouses on the contractor side – this gave me a good understanding of the practicalities and challenges of construction work in water,” says project manager Toni Gussander from Welado.

Welado develops and supervises the Luodon matala basic renovation project

Luodon matala is located some ten kilometres to the north of Hailuoto Island. The project involves basic renovation of the concrete structures of a nautical leading mark and the leading mark itself. According to a framework agreement with the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA), Welado is responsible for the project’s development, supervision and safety coordination.

As part of the project, Welado puts the contract to tender on the basis of completed plans. This work includes defining the requirements together with the customer, drafting all the related commercial documents and taking the project onto the tender portal Cloudia. The supervisory work is primarily conducted during open water season. The duties of the supervising consultant include monitoring the basic renovations of the leading mark, as well as the duties of safety coordinator. The supervisory duties cover quality monitoring and technical matters.

Welado tasked with the supervision of waterways 2023–2025

Welado has an agreement with FTIA concerning the supervision of waterways for the years 2023–2025 that covers seven inland water areas and four sea areas. The duties of the supervising consultant include monitoring of waterway maintenance work as well as the duties of waterway safety coordinator. The supervisory duties involve quality monitoring and technical matters related to waterway maintenance. The work is based on the service description and other contract documents.

Special challenges in projects – practical experience of great importance

In the tendering of basic renovation projects in water, receiving enough offers from contractors who are thoroughly familiar with the challenges and characteristics of water construction poses a special challenge. The developer consultant ensures that the requirements and goals of the project are clearly and comprehensively defined so that the end result will meet the customer’s requirements and stays within the planned budget.

Read more about Welado’s infrastructure development services

Read more about Welado’s waterways and ports service

Would you like to discuss the topic further? Contact Toni Gussander.

toni.gussander@welado.fi

+358 40 631 6551