Jun 11 2010
Ballast Nedam Offshore has inked an agreement with Walney (UK) Offshore Windfarms Ltd. for installing 51 foundations meant for offshore wind turbines under the Walney II project. For this purpose, a Letter of Intent was inked in December 2009. Walney (UK) Offshore Windfarms is a joint venture between Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and DONG Energy. Situated in the Irish Sea, this project will have 51 units of 3.6 MW turbines, resulting in an overall capacity of 183.6 MW.
Tubular steel piles that are part of the foundations will be installed by Ballast Nedam Offshore. Each of these monopiles can weigh anywhere from 800 to 1,000 tons. These monopiles will be lifted by the heavy lift vessel of Ballast Nedam Offshore named Svanen, which can lift 8,700 tons. Work on the foundations will commence during Q2 of 2011.
Svanen has a strong track history of installing foundations meant for offshore wind farms at Belwind (2009/2010, Belgium, 56 piles), Gunfleet Sands (2008/2009, United Kingdom, 32 piles), Rhyl Flats (2008, United Kingdom, 25 piles) and Egmond aan Zee (2006, the Netherlands, 36 piles).
Currently, Svanen is installing 90 foundations in the U.K. for the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Park. Moreover, Ballast Nedam Offshore is utilizing another vessel for installing 22 foundations meant for the Baltic I wind park.
Source: http://www.offshore-energy.nl/