Windfarm Update: Block Island, Eneco Luchterduinen, Gemini, Westermeerwind

Block Island

Offshore construction work at the first US offshore wind farm began on 26 July, when the first foundation was installed at the site 4.8 km off the Block Island coast. By mid-September, Deepwater Wind, the company behind the project, had four out of five steel jacket foundations in water. Vessels in charge of the foundation installation are the barge crane Weeks 533 and self-elevating crane vessel Robert. During the first offshore wind construction in the US, Deepwater Wind encountered a delay in construction start due to bad weather and changing safety approach with its offshore contractors after ABS Group had reported several concerns during the offshore works. However, the developer said these setbacks will not affect the project’s schedule, according to which the wind farm should be operational in the autumn of 2016.

The offshore construction is expected to last for approx. eight weeks. Cable-laying and installation of five Alstom’s Haliade 6MW turbines are scheduled for next year.

Eneco Luchterduinen

The Eneco Luchterduinen offshore wind farm was officially launched by its joint owners, Mitsubishi Corporation and Eneco, on 21 September. The wind farm was completed within budget and three months ahead of schedule. Some 560 employees and 50 different vessels have been working on the project, in which a total of €450m has been invested.

As the main contractor (EPC), Van Oord was in charge of the electrical infrastructure and the installation of foundations and turbines. The foundations and turbines were installed by Van Oord’s installation vessel Aeolus.

Eneco Luchterduinen comprises 43 MHI Vestas Offshore Wind’s 3MW wind turbines installed 23km off the Dutch coast. With a capacity of 129MW, it will power 150,000 households with clean energy.

Gemini

In late August, Van Oord reported that it had installed the two Offshore High Voltage Stations (OHVS) and first 80 transition pieces at the Gemini offshore wind farm. This year, two ships will join Van Oord’s Aeolus to install the remaining 70 foundations. The installation of Siemens 4MW wind turbines is scheduled for the spring of 2016.

The Gemini project is being built 85km off the coast of Groningen, the Netherlands. Construction began in July this year and the wind farm is expected to be fully operational in 2017. Once operational, Gemini will be one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms.

Westermeerwind

The first set of wind turbine blades were installed at Westermeerwind on 9 September. The blades were installed by De Schelde pontoon fitted with the 11350 Liebherr crane. The installation of turbines started in August and the project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2016. The wind farm should produce its first electricity this autumn.

Westermeerwind is the offshore part of the Noordoostpolder Wind Farm, the largest near-shore wind farm in the Netherlands. Its 48 3MW turbines will generate enough power to meet the electricity demands of 160,000 households.