DONG Energy will boost the capacity of its German offshore wind farm, Borkum Riffgrund 1, by upgrading the 3.6MW turbines to produce more power and by installing an additional turbine.
Initially planned 77 Siemens’ turbines would have produced 277MW of electricity, but with the optimization of turbines and adding one more, the capacity of Borkum Riffgrund 1 will climb up to 312MW.
The additional turbine will be deployed in order to make room for the testing of the innovative Suction Bucket Jacket foundation in the summer of this year. The first foundations and transition pieces have already been installed at the construction site of Borkum Riffgrund 1. The first wind turbine is also scheduled to be erected in the summer.
A measurement system will be installed to provide valuable data, which will be available to the participants of the Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator program (OWA).
“Increased electricity production of our offshore wind farm will be another important step in securing steady power supply from renewable energy sources in Germany, thus paving the way for the success of the energy transition,” said Trine Borum Bojsen, Managing Director of DONG Energy’s German offshore wind business.
He added: “In addition to improved production capacity, the changes also include work safety improvements that could be identified and implemented thanks to the experience in the construction and operation of the 3.6 MW turbine. This will make working on the turbines even safer. “
The Suction Bucket Jacket foundation has already proven itself in the oil and gas industry. Should it prove to be useful for the offshore wind industry too, this foundation type will bring a reduction in time and costs. Furthermore, this technology allows a quieter installation.
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Offshore WIND Staff, March 14, 2014; Image: borkumriffgrund1