Preparations Underway for Turbine Installation at Riffgat Offshore Wind Farm, Germany

Preparations for the installation of wind turbines at the Riffgat offshore wind farm have begun in early April.

Transport and loading of heavy components of the Siemens SWT 3.6, such as towers, nacelles, blades and turbines, have been performed with a special installation vessel, the “Bold Tern” from Esbjerg.

“Bold Tern”, owned by Fred Olsen, is a 132 meter-long and 39 meter-wide vessel with a loading capacity of up to 5,300 tons. It is a jack-up vessel with four extendable raising legs that allow precise positioning in the water.

The legs are around 78 meter-long and can lift the vessel from the ocean floor, thus facilitating precise construction work. The installation vessel is suitable for water depths of up to 40 meters.

The “Bold Tern” has two cranes on the deck, with a maximum tractive effort of 800 tons.

At the beginning of this week, the rotor blades for the first eight wind turbines were loaded. Nacelles and tower components will follow before the vessel departs for the installation for the first time.

[mappress]

Offshore WIND Staff, April 9, 2013; Image: enova