TÜV SÜD will showcase its full suite of offshore wind power services at WINDFORCE 2014 at Hall 5, Stand E 33, in Bremen between 17 and 19 June 2014.
From the first geophysical surveys of the sea bed to power grid connections – the various milestones of offshore wind farms are fraught with project-specific challenges and uncertainties. Many projects off the German coast are proceeding more slowly than planned.
“However, wind-farm projects in Germany cannot be compared to those in other European countries,” says Alexander Heitmann, Department Manager Offshore Wind Power at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH in Hamburg . In Germany, offshore wind farms are typically placed further out in the sea.
“Given this, our clients expect very thorough planning and scheduling of our testing and inspection activities, coupled with the flexibility to optimise the offshore processes at the same time,” explains Heitmann . Often new methods and concepts are used that have not yet been documented in standards or for which the standards are still under development.
To carry out the planning, construction, commissioning and operation of the offshore wind farm under these extreme conditions, designers, project operators and manufacturers rely on the high level of quality and flexibility that TÜV SÜD offers throughout all project phases.
“Our customers and partners have to consider safety requirements and technical risks on the one hand and profitability on the other,” explains Alexander Heitmann . “To do so, they need a testing and certification partner that provides flexible and solution-focused services and can help to guide the project to success.”
TÜV SÜD’s experts cover all phases of offshore projects – from validation of geotechnical surveys, design review, supervision and quality assurance during manufacturing, installation and commissioning to inspections and approval of specialised components. Type certification of wind turbines and certification of entire offshore projects are other focal areas, as are the testing and certification of maritime transport and lifting equipment and offshore sub-stations.