DONG Energy and A2SEA’s Sea Challenger have completed the installation of 97 Siemens 6-MW turbines at Gode Wind 1 and 2 offshore wind farm in the German part of the North Sea.
With a capacity of 582 MW, Gode Wind 1+2 Offshore Wind Farm is Germany’s largest offshore wind farm to date. When fully commissioned in summer, the offshore wind farm will provide green energy to approximately 600,000 German households.
It took approximately one year to build Gode Wind 1 and 2. Work began in April of last year 45 kilometres off the coast in the North Sea. The offshore team began installing the 6-MW turbines from Siemens in August. Despite difficult weather conditions during the winter months, DONG Energy was able to stick to the schedule.
Large projects help to reduce costs
Trine Borum Bojsen, managing director of DONG Energy in Germany and the person responsible for the offshore wind sector, explains: "Gode Wind 1 and 2 are our second and third projects in Germany. We inaugurated our first German wind farm, Borkum Riffgrund 1, last year. I am pleased that we are once again making a significant contribution to the energy turnaround in Germany. Large projects like these benefit from economy of scale effects, and this helps to reduce the cost of offshore wind power."
DONG Energy holds 50% stakes in Gode Wind 1 and 2 and will be responsible for operational management and maintenance when the wind farms go into operation. The infrastructure fund Global Infrastructure Partners also holds a 50% share of Gode Wind 1. Talanx, the third largest German insurance group, is also indirectly involved. Four Danish pension funds, including PKA and Industriens Pension, hold a combined total of 50% in Gode Wind 2.
Jens Frederik Hansen, CEO at A2SEA commented: “The turbine installation has progressed seamlessly and as planned throughout the winter. We experienced some rough and challenging weather during January and February, but thanks to the entire project team including our experienced crew both offshore and onshore and our partners on the project, Siemens Wind Power and client DONG Energy, we managed to deliver safely, on time and on budget.”
Sea Challenger’s next project is turbine installation on the 402-MW Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm in the UK for Statoil, Masdar and Statkraft. First, the vessel will act as accommodation vessel for the project from September until turbine installation, which is planned to start at the beginning of 2017.
Silke Funke / DONG Energy / A2SEA
News