Stars for Global Tech I Come from Wilhelmshaven, Germany

BLG and EUROGATE have jointly with AREVA Wind developed a logistics concept for handling, storage and assembly of rotor stars for the Global Tech I offshore wind park approximately 110 km off Germany’s North Sea coast.

Overall responsibility for this project lies with BLG, which today signed the contract with AREVA Wind. In the search for a suitable area to store the giant wind turbine components, the decision of the AREVA Wind logistics team went in favour of the EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven.

EUROGATE will provide an appropriate area in the northern part of its site, which is currently not yet in use for container handling and accounts for no more than 5 percent of the total terminal area. Extensive areas and the direct position on the open sea qualified the location for this project. The contract will run initially until April 2014 and covers handling, storage and preassembly of the rotor stars for the 400 megawatt North Sea wind park Global Tech I.

“We are proud of the fact that in the Global Tech 1 wind park our technology will generate 400 MW of power and that our experience in offshore installation allows us to contribute to this revolutionary offshore wind farm,” said Jean Huby, Managing Director and spokesman of AREVA Wind, commenting on the progressive logistics solution in Wilhelmshaven.

The heavyweight individual components of the rotor stars – blades and hub – are transported on barges by sea directly to the quayside in Wilhelmshaven. The components come from Bremerhaven and Stade, where AREVA Wind and AREVA Blades have their production facilities. The hubs and the 56.5-metre-long rotor blades are assembled to complete rotor stars directly on site at the terminal, close to the quayside. The parts, weighing 115 tonnes, are then loaded directly onto the installation vessel VIDAR and installed in the wind park Global Tech I.

“Logistics concepts for the construction of offshore wind parks are highly complex,” says Emanuel Schiffer, Chairman of the EUROGATE Group Management Board. “Not every location and not every service provider fulfil the necessary prerequisites to meet all the requirements. EUROGATE already successfully handles heavy wind energy components in Bremerhaven. Our staff are qualified experts. Wilhelmshaven is ideally suited as a location for further project business as there are very few natural restrictions. The direct location on the open sea and the extensive areas are ideal for storing and assembling wind turbines.”

Andreas Wellbrock, member of the BLG Management Bord, adds: “Having already been responsible for the transport, handling and intermediate storage of the foundations and final assembly at WeserWind, we are pleased to have won the contract for the logistics of the wind turbines. This not only reflects positively on our previous work, it is also an important signal for North Germany as an offshore location.” 

[mappress]

Press release, September 6, 2013; Image: BLG