Swire Blue Ocean to Handle Siemens Gamesa Giants on Hollandse Kust Zuid

Vattenfall has contracted Swire Blue Ocean for the installation of the Siemens Gamesa wind turbines at the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farms in the Dutch North Sea.

Using the wind farm installation vessel Pacific Osprey, Swire Blue Ocean will transport the various turbine components from the pre-assembly site on the Dutch coast to the wind farm zone where they will then be installed.

The signing of the final contract for the installation of all turbines at the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farms follows half a year after Vattenfall announced that it had chosen Swire Blue Ocean for the installation of the Hollandse Kust Zuid 3&4 turbines. Just like with other suppliers, Vattenfall had selected Swire Blue Ocean prior to its tender bid to build the wind farm.

“Early and close collaboration with suppliers like Swire Blue Ocean has been a deciding factor in our successful bid to build the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm in the Dutch sector of the North Sea. Today we take another step closer to the actual construction of this exciting project. I look forward to our continued cooperation and am confident this campaign will be delivered safely and efficiently,” said Catrin Jung, Vattenfall’s acting Head of Business Unit Offshore.

The Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm zone is planned to be fitted with approximately 140 units of Siemens Gamesa’s newest and largest Direct Drive offshore turbines, which feature the ability to reach a capacity of 11MW. The SG 11.0-193 DD Flex turbine features a 193m diameter rotor using the 94m long Siemens Gamesa B94 Integral Blades.

To handle the turbine components, the Pacific Osprey will have an upgraded 1,200t crane, with a boom 15 metres longer than the original, and 4,300m2 deck area. It is expected that Swire Blue Ocean will need approximately one year to complete this campaign, from loading the first turbine parts for transport to installing the last turbine.

“Vattenfall is a long-term client and we are delighted to continue working with them on the wind turbine installation of the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm,” said Mikkel Gleerup, CEO of Swire Blue Ocean.

“Before, we have worked very closely with Vattenfall to secure the bid with the Dutch authorities and will continue maintaining this successful collaborative approach. We are very excited about this project and look forward to a safe and efficient turbine installation with Pacific Osprey’s upgraded crane capacity. Finally, this contract enables Swire Blue Ocean to step into the next generation of turbines and demonstrates its ability to adapt to the fast evolution of the market.”

In July 2019, Vattenfall won the tender to build Hollandse Kust Zuid 3&4 following a successful bid to build Hollandse Kust Zuid 1&2. Both tenders were won with a zero-subsidy bid.