Dutch Port Welcomes First Batch of Monopiles for RWE’s Thor Offshore Wind Project

October 22, 2024, by Adnan Memija

The first batch of eight monopiles for RWE’s Thor offshore wind project, being built in the Danish North Sea, have been offloaded and stored at the base Port of Eemshaven in the Netherlands.

*Credit: Harrie Garst/Skydronepictures.nl*

Buss Terminal Eemshaven, part of the Hamburg-based terminal operator Buss Ports, provides storage space, heavy unloading equipment, and operators at the port while also managing the port logistics.

In spring 2025, foundations will be shipped from the Dutch heavy-lift terminal in Eemshaven to the Thor construction site in the Danish North Sea, located approximately 22 kilometres off the west coast of Jutland.

“The construction of offshore wind farms requires large port capacity and special port infrastructure to handle the heavy components. Such capacities are becoming increasingly difficult to find”, said Thomas Michel, COO of RWE Offshore Wind.

“We are delighted to have secured the Buss Terminal once again. The facilities at Eemshaven port are ideal. We recently used the port to support the construction of our Kaskasi wind farm.”

Designed by Wood Thilsted, the monopiles are up to 100 metres in length and weigh up to 1,500 tonnes each, which is roughly equivalent to the weight of 1,000 small cars.

A total of 72 of these foundations will be handled in Eemshaven. In April last year, RWE selected Dajin Offshore and EEW SPC to deliver 36 monopiles each, together with secondary structures, for RWE’s Thor offshore wind farm.

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The foundations will be installed by Jan De Nul Group, who will provide the vessel for the work that is expected to be carried out next year.

Siemens Gamesa’s SG 14-236 DD wind turbines will be mounted on TP-less monopiles and installed using a jack-up vessel from Fred. Olsen Windcarrier. Of the 72 turbines, 40 will feature recyclable rotor blades.

With a planned capacity of more than 1,000 MW, Thor is Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm to date.