SIAG Bags Order for Self-erecting Substation (Germany)

SIAG Bags Order for Self-erecting Substation (Germany)

Shortly before the end of 2011 SIAG Nordseewerke GmbH received a major order for a self-erecting substation for the offshore wind farm MEG 1. With 400 MW the project will supply energy for 500.000 households and save 1, 25 Mio tons of CO2in relation to coal-fired power plants.

SIAG Schaaf Industrie AG, leading supplier for the onshore and offshore wind energy industry, employing 1,800 staff at 10 locations worldwide, has been awarded another order by the end of 2011.

Windkraft Union AG, a subsidiary of Windreich AG in Wolfschlungen, awarded a contract to a consortium of SIAG Nordseewerke in Emden and Alstom Grid GmbH, their partner for electrical components, with the supply and manufacturing of the substation for offshore wind farm MEG 1. The start of production of this project is planned for the second half of 2012. In 2011 Windreich AG already awarded an order to SIAG Nordseewerke GmbH, reflecting the competitiveness of the Emden location. The cooperation is characterized by the great mutual trust of the two entrepreneurs and CEO’s, Willi Balz and Rüdiger Schaaf.

The order includes engineering services, manufacturing, construction of the foundation structure as well as the Jack-Up platform.

A substation is the core element of an offshore wind farm. It bundles the electricity produced by the turbines and conducts it to a further platform for the transformation from alternating current into direct current. The substation is connected to 80 wind turbines with an output of approx. 400 MW.

The self-erecting technology pursued by SIAG permits a short time construction on the high seas mostly without installation vessels. The four steel-legs are sunk and subsequently anchored at the assembly location.

The planning phase, being performed in cooperation with SIAG Engineering GmbH at the Emden location, will start in February. The start of the steel construction is planned for the second half of 2012. Within two years, the steel-platform weighing several thousands of tons will be brought and assembled in a water depth of 30 m at the planned location in the North Sea.The total order volume for SIAG contains a double-digit million amount.

 “We united all relevant factors from ship-building. The only difference is that the platform is just brought to its destination where it finally remains. However, the production process is very similar and all relevant ship-building-standards apply analogously. This is our decisive advantage, we have an own shipyard with highly qualified staff – to a large extend from the ship-building industry – who are looking forward to their new duty. In cooperation with SIAG Engineering GmbH and our partners we can provide a comprehensive concept from one source to our customers”, comments Volker Messerschmidt, Managing Director of SIAG Nordseewerke GmbH.

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Offshore WIND staff, February 01, 2012; Image: windreich