Construction Starts on EnBW Baltic 2 OWF (Germany)

The construction of the second offshore wind farm of EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG has entered its late stage: the “Goliath” installation platform left Rostock port on August 16 for its destination – EnBW’s Baltic 2 construction area, which is located 32 kilometres north of the Baltic Sea island of Rügen. Installation has started there on the foundations for a total of 80 wind power plants with a total output of 288 megawatts.

So-called “monopiles” and three-legged “jackets” are deployed as foundations depending on water depth. These jackets are installed in two steps during the first phase of EnBW Baltic 2. Each transportation ship brings a total of six jacket piles from Rostock to the construction area, where the “Goliath” installation platform uses a crane to lift the piles. Three piles form the foundation for one jacket. An installation device then anchors the piles in the seabed. In the second working step, the jackets are placed on the piles and fixed using special cement. The installation of one jacket can take up to five days depending on weather conditions.

“With the installation of the foundations, we are starting on the decisive project phase in which our second offshore wind farm is now taking on specific form at sea. We have worked quite some time to reach this point – especially our offshore team,” explained EnBW CTO Dr. Hans-Josef Zimmer. “EnBW Baltic 2 will make an important contribution to further expanding the share of renewable energies within EnBW’s generation mix. Following the construction of the first commercial offshore wind farm in Germany, we are now aiming for further projects of significantly greater dimensions. Our second offshore wind farm will be four times as large, and generate six times as much electricity,” Zimmer went on to add.

With 80 wind power plants of 3.6 megawatts each, EnBW Baltic 2 will comprise 288 megawatts of total output. The offshore wind farm will generate 1,200 GWh of electricity per year for a notional number of around 340,000 households, and save 900,000 tonnes of CO2. With EnBW Baltic 1 in 2010, EnBW had commissioned the first commercial offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea.

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Press release, August 20, 2013; Image: EnBW