Credit: real444

Siem Offshore Contractors bags €100m contract

The company has been chosen for the turnkey supply and installation package of the inner array grid cable system for the 400 MW Veja Mate Offshore Wind Farm. The project is located 115km off the German coast, within the German Bight sector of the North Sea.

Siem shared that it will utilise vessels and resources within the Siem Offshore group. The combined capabilities of Siem Offshore’s marine operations, and the engineering and installation experience of SOC is expected to form a strong resource base. The offshore works for the inner array grid cable system are due to begin next year, whereby the project is scheduled to be brought online before the end of 2017.

SOC will also provide associated materials and services including the supply of the submarine composite cables, cable protection systems etc.

As far as management of the project is concerned, owner Highland Group Holding has allotted K2 Management a project management and technical development contract until end of 2017. The group also owns Deutsche Bucht (210 MW) offshore project, planned for commissioning 2019, where K2 Management has an identical engagement.

Dong Energy eyes projects in the US

RES America Developments (RES), a subsidiary of Renewable Energy Systems Americas, has reached an agreement to transfer to Dong Energy a U.S. offshore wind development project off the coast of Massachusetts. The Danish company has agreed to take over more than 1000MW newly assigned development project rights.

RES secured the rights to develop one of the two leases that were awarded during an auction conducted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) earlier this year. The lease comprises an area that could potentially accommodate more than 1000MW.

The Massachusetts lease has a total size of 760 sq. km and is located approximately 90 km from shore. Water depth is between 40-50m.

Eneco Luchterduinen wind farm makes progress

Van Oord has shared that the construction of the offshore wind farm Luchterduinen has entered its final phase with the installation of the first wind turbine.

The installation has been managed by Van Oord’s new transport and installation vessel, the Aeolus. The other 42 wind turbines will be installed during the coming weeks. The wind farm is expected to be put into operation in August. The components of the wind turbines (tower, nacelle, blades) shall be transported from their construction location to the port of Esbjerg in Denmark.

The V112 type turbines, produced by MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, have a capacity of 3 MW each. They will be placed on towers which are 62m high, which in turn will be placed on top of foundations that extend 17m above sea level. The blades have a length of 54m.

The development of Eneco Luchterduinen wind farm at a distance of 23km off the coast between Noordwijk and Zandvoort is a joint project between the energy company Eneco and Mitsubishi.

A major milestone for German floating offshore foundation

In a major development for GICON, the Germany-based engineering and consulting group has gained an important approval for the nation’s first floating offshore foundation, the GICON SOF.

The company is now set for the installation and testing phase as it gained its construction and operating licence from the State Department of Agriculture and Environment of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

GICON obtained approval for erection and operation of an offshore wind turbine on a floating foundation in the German coastal sea region of the Baltic Sea. According to the company, GICON’s SOF development provides a floating substructure for offshore wind turbines which can be deployed in water depths of 18 – 500m while achieving LCOE below 10€ cent/ kWh.

The company remained optimistic about the project schedule for planned installation and subsequent testing of its functional model in the spring of 2016. The SOF functional model is currently being manufactured by ESG Edelstahl und Umwelttechnik Stralsund, a company of GICON Group.

The group also shared that in order to apply for feed-in of the 2,300 kW-rated nominal output via the Baltic I wind farm, a permit in accordance with the German Federal Emission Control Act is mandatory. This permit has now been issued, so the application for capacity allocation for feed-in of the energy into the transmission grid can proceed.

Dalby to work for SSE

Dalby Offshore Services has won yet another contract to strengthen its presence in the offshore wind sector.

Dalby Vessels Wharfe, Aire & Humber has been chosen to work on the Greater Gabbard Wind Farm for SSE, modifying the Davits on 117 turbines. The contract is set to last until the end of this year.

The vessels are now ready to start work.

To its credit, post its entry into the renewables sector in 2010, the company now owns seven offshore wind farm support vessels. The company has been associated with several wind farms, including Greater Gabbard UK, Lynn & Inner Downsing UK, London Array UK, Karehamn, Sweden, Thanet UK, KentishFlats UK etc.

E.ON to focus on customised asset management

E.ON, an investor-owned power and gas company, has chosen to focus on customised asset management, maintenance, and repair services for North American renewable energy projects.

The group has decided to set up E.ON Energy Services.

E.ON sees its ability to customise asset management services as key to service the growing wind market.

The team highlighted that for passive owners, E.ON can perform site and Balance of Plant (BOP) management during warranty periods all the way to full asset management services. For more active owners, the new division can supplement current efforts on major repairs, inspections, or long-term maintenance to keep infrastructure investment costs down.