Offshore staff
ROTTERDAM, the Netherlands — Van Oord’s heavy-lift vessel Svanen has installed the first of 50 monopiles for the Baltic Eagle wind farm offshore Germany.
The company is responsible for transport and installation (T&I) of the wind turbine foundations, along with supply and T&I of about 70 km of subsea inter-array cables.
Baltic Eagle covers a 40-sq-km area, 30 km northeast of the island of Rügen. The 476-MW development is due to be fully operational by year-end 2024.
According to Van Oord, the installation method for the foundations is based on the "feeder concept," which involves floating the foundations to Svanen at the offshore installation site, with the monopiles transported to the site from EEW in Rostock, eastern Germany.
On arrival, Svanen lifts the components upright and following positioning by the gripper, pile-driving can begin.
Last month, the company started transporting the transition pieces from Aviles in Spain to the company’s base at the port of Mukran. It will install the transition pieces during the current quarter.
Later this year, the cable-laying vessel Nexus and trencher Dig-It will install and bury the inter-array cables.
04.26.2023
