Denmark: Dong Inaugurates New Compound for Anholt Offshore Wind Farm

On 1 April 2011, DONG Energy took over two old cold stores at the port of Grenaa, and since then craftsmen have been working hard on rebuilding them to a new operating and service building for the around 50 employees, who will manage the future operation and maintenance of Anholt Offshore Wind Farm.

The construction of Anholt Offshore Wind Farm is well under way, and as we expect to commission the first wind turbine in September, it is important that the operating organisation is ready to take over. Therefore, Flemming Thomsen, Project Director, marked the inauguration symbolically at the informal ceremony by presenting an oversize admission card to Steen Carsten Larsen, Manager of Anholt Offshore Wind Farm.

 Great buildings

Steen Carsten Larsen repaid the compliment and said:

 “We will operate the wind farm together with Siemens and A2SEA, and now we have these wonderful buildings. I must say that we were a bit sceptic when we learned that we had to move in to a former cold store, but the buildings are amazing. Thank you for the buildings and the great facilities.”

The two former cold stores have been completely renovated, and they now hold welfare facilities, administration, drying room, workshop and storage facilities of 2,000m2 altogether.

 Operation and service building

The former cold store to the west has been completely renovated, and the approximately 2,000m2 facility now holds welfare facilities, administration, etc. The ground floor is arranged with a large drying room, workshop and storage facilities.

From a large open reception area framing the main entrance, there will be access to the first floor. The first floor contains bathrooms and changing rooms, canteen and modern office facilities housing technicians from both DONG Energy and Siemens.

The cold store to the east has been cleared and converted into an available cold store facilitating storage of large units. Finally, the characteristic old ice silo, which has been disused for a number of years, is used to ensure communication in the construction and operation phases.

The tower has now been cleared, and an internal staircase with access to a roof terrace has been established at a height of approximately 28 metres. Aerials and other equipment have been installed at the upper level to ensure intact communication between Anholt Offshore Wind Farm and the onshore base at the Port of Grenaa already from autumn 2011.

 – Modern front

Common for all three buildings is that they appear with a new modern front consisting of dark front cladding combined with profiled glass, which gives the buildings semi-transparent openings and an exciting and elegant architecture, a visual lift to the area and contributes to profiling Anholt Offshore Wind Farm at the Port of Grenaa.

 Operation of Anholt Offshore Wind Farm

Anholt Offshore Wind Farm will be operated locally from the new offices, storage and workshop facilities in Grenaa.

During the first five-year guarantee period, DONG Energy will operate and maintain the wind farm in cooperation with the wind turbine supplier Siemens Wind Power.

Both DONG Energy and Siemens will have a local administration in the new facilities. On expiry of the guarantee period, DONG Energy will take over the full responsibility for operation and maintenance of the wind farm.

Most of the administration and management personnel has already been employed, as well as the technicians who will perform maintenance and trouble shooting of the wind turbines which have stopped due to error during the night.

At the moment, both DONG Energy’s and Siemens’ technicians are attending extensive training on other wind farms in Denmark and the UK, and part of DONG Energy’s technicians will participate in the construction of the wind farm as supervisory personnel.

When the wind farm is put into operation, the summer period will be used for performance of scheduled service, whereas repair and start-up of damaged wind turbines will be performed in the winter period.

In the summer period, the main part of the work will be planned, and the technicians will work intensively in shifts for 12 hours per day for seven days and then be off duty for seven days. Generally, the technicians will leave the port at 7:00 in the morning and return at 19:00 in the evening.

Up to 50 technicians, 13 administrative employees and 12 mariners to operate the wind farm

Up to 50 technicians are going to work in the wind farm. Up to 13 persons are going to work at the offices at variable working hours, and DONG Energy’s and Siemens’ subsidiary, A2SEA, will provide 12 people for the daily navigation and operation of the three service vessels which are to transport the technicians to the wind farm.

[mappress]

Offshore WIND staff, May 03, 2012