Ørsted, DEME Offshore and Siemens Gamesa have successfully completed the installation of the 94 turbines at Ørsted’s Borssele 1 & 2 Offshore Wind Farm in the Netherlands.
The first turbine was installed in April 2020, and less than five months later, the turbine installation phase has been completed. DEME Offshore’s sister installation vessels ‘Sea Installer’ and ‘Sea Challenger’ have been deployed for the installation.
It’s the first time Siemens Gamesa’s 8 MW offshore wind turbines will be used for a commercial project. The 94 SG 8.0-167 DD turbines have a tip height of 200 metres and a rotor diameter of 167 metres. The turbines will deliver enough electricity for one million Dutch households.
Ben Beardsmore-Rust, Ørsted’s project manager for the turbine package: “Achieving this milestone has been made possible due to the collaborative and tireless efforts of countless individuals from Ørsted, DEME, SGRE and our subcontractors. Together we have overcome the unique challenges of executing turbine installation during these difficult times and delivered a fantastic result. Thank you to all of those who’ve worked so hard in order to make this happen. I look forward to concluding the remaining offshore works and seeing all 94 turbines at Borssele 1 & 2 generating green electricity for so many people.”
Henrik Egholm, EPC director Borssele 1 & 2 for Ørsted: “The construction of our wind farm went really well. Now we have completed the installation of the foundations, cables and turbines, in only 9 months. We have been able to construct the whole 752 MW wind farm, during a pandemic without anyone being infected which all can be very proud of. Naturally, we have worked according to the highest safety standard, both from a COVID-19 as from a construction perspective. I’m very proud of what we have achieved, together with our suppliers.”
Michael Glavind, Business Unit Director DEME Offshore comments: “We are again demonstrating the benefits of our seamlessly efficient, duo-vessel turbine installation solution. Having two similar vessels deployed on the project brings many benefits to our clients in terms of preparation, planning and accelerated execution. We are proud of the ‘Sea Challenger’ and ‘Sea Installer’ crews and the project team for completing this turbine installation project. This achievement is even more remarkable considering the COVID-19 headwinds we faced.”
Gert Overgaard, Project Director at Siemens Gamesa states: “Installing the first SG 8.0-167 DD offshore wind turbines at Borssele 1 & 2 is indeed a noteworthy moment for us and all our project partners. We’re committed to leading the offshore wind industry through safety, innovation, reliability, and cost-efficiency. Strict COVID-19 protocols have ensured the health of our colleagues and those around them. We look forward to continuing the next phase of the project, and to our joint future successes.”