BARD Offshore 1: Milestone for German Offshore Wind Industry

A full nine months before its final completion, BARD Offshore 1 is already by far the largest and most powerful German wind farm on the high seas. The 40th of a total of 80 turbines belonging to the 5-megawatt-class and located around 100 kilometres off the island coast of Borkum has now been connected to the grid. Furthermore, 72 foundations have been laid and a total of 59 nacelles have been constructed.

“Despite the daily operational challenges, we as a pioneer in the German offshore wind energy industry are still well within the construction schedule as defined in 2011. Furthermore, we remain convinced that we will have connected all of the 80 turbines to the grid by the end of 2013/early 2014,” says Michael Baur, CEO of the BARD Group. To accomplish this, additional construction units, working vessels and significantly more personnel will be deployed to the construction site as of this spring.

BARD Offshore 1, which is being constructed in the North Sea at a distance of around 100 kilometres off the coast and at a water depth of ca. 40 metres, has become the reference project of the German offshore wind industry. The unique know-how acquired by the BARD organisation in the course of constructing BARD Offshore 1 will ultimately benefit the entire offshore wind energy industry.

BARD Offshore 1 already generates around 200 megawatts and is thus able to supply a city comparable to the size of Bremen with regenerative energy.

[mappress]

Press release, March 12, 2013; Image: bard-offshore