Hutchinson Engineering Secures Hohe See Contract

Hutchinson Engineering Ltd (HEL) has secured a contract to provide anode cage assemblies for EnBW’s Hohe See offshore wind farm in the German North Sea.

The contract, HEL’s fifth order from Smulders, includes the fabrication and supply of 264 spring systems forming 88 sets of anode cage assemblies, which will be shipped to Smulders’ fabrication yard in Hoboken, Belgium, for incorporation into the transition pieces (TPs), and then deployed on the wind farm.

“We are delighted with our continued supply chain activities with Smulders, especially with further export work to Europe offering UK content and expertise,” HEL’s Managing Director, Dean Drinkwater, said.

“This particular fabrication is both complex and challenging in terms of required tolerances and was won with a collaborative proactive approach adopted by both parties from the onset.”

The project follows HEL’s supply of landings, ladders and platforms for the Dudgeon offshore wind farm, J tubes for the Blyth offshore wind farm, and enabling work on both Beatrice and Aberdeen Bay offshore wind farms, the company said.

GeoSea, DEME Group’s subsidiary appointed by Siemens to supply and install foundations for Hohe See, awarded Sif the production of all 71 monopiles and, in joint venture with Smulders, all the TPs for the project.

Sif is in charge of producing the primary steel and Smulders of producing the secondary steel and outfitting of the TPs.

Offshore construction at the EnBW Hohe See site is scheduled to start in early 2018, with Siemens scheduled to begin manufacturing 71 of its 7MW wind turbines for the project in mid-2018.

The wind farm is expected to be operational in 2019.