The construction of the offshore wind farm Global Tech I will start soon. After an intensive two-year planning period, the project company Global Tech I Offshore Wind GmbH will start the construction of the foundations and substation in the coming weeks.
The substation will be shipped directly from the shipyard in Rotterdam to the construction site and the first tripods will be shipped from their depot at the ABC-Peninsula in Bremerhaven 180 kilometers away for the wind farm area.
Thomas Meerpohl, Commercial Director of the Global Tech I Offshore Wind GmbH said: “We are delighted that the construction will begin shortly. Our North Sea wind farm contains 80 wind turbines with the total installed capacity of 400 megawatts, a large power plant that will make an important contribution to the energy transition. The turbines, which we have tested at the Alpha Ventus wind farm during the past year reached 4,500 full operating hours and were 98 percent of the time available. This is an enormous and, above all, reliable performance. “
The substation is based on a new concept: a floating platform with the suction installation method is being used in Germany for the first time. Arjen Schampers, Technical Director of the Global Tech I Offshore Wind Ltd . said: “This environmentally friendly method of installation is used in the oil and gas industry. It has the advantage of requiring low logistic services without the need for other installation ships.”
In August, the first 60 meters high foundations will be installed at the wind farm site. To protect the porpoises during construction, a noise reduction method will be applied. The marine mammals will be repelled by the acoustic signals from the construction. In addition, a large bubble curtain is going to be used. The tripods will be installed up to one third of its length into the ground by utilization of a vibration based method and not hammered down. This technology is still the best possible technology that can reduce noise to the required level.
By the end of 2013 the wind farm will be fully operational.
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Offshore WIND staff, August 02, 2012; Image: blg