The 30 wind turbines at North Hoyle are each supported on a robust foundation known as a monopile (single pile).

Each pile is a long cylindrical steel tube, measuring 4 metres in diameter, which has been installed in a vertical position, with the lower section penetrating the seabed and the upper section rising up between the seabed and the surface of the water.

The piles were towed out to the wind farm site one by one from the construction base at the Port of Mostyn, before being installed by a vessel known as a jack-up barge. The jack-up has 8 extendable “legs” which allowed it to stand on the seabed, providing a stable platform from which to carry out the piling work.

Less than four months after work began on installing the monopiles in early April 2003, the jack-up barge “Excalibur” (owned and operated by UK based marine construction specialists Seacore), finished installing the last of the piles at the end of July 2003

Steel piles at the Port of Mostyn

"Excalibur" installing a monopile

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