Germany: Meerwind Offshore Wind Farm Still on Track for Q3 2013 Completion

Construction progress at Meerwind continues at a rapid pace for main installation contractor Seajacks.

New installation vessel ‘Zaratan’ has performed well over the winter months and looks set to install monopile number 60 out of a total of 80 this week. The final monopile is scheduled to be installed within the end of April, which will enable the first turbines to be installed in May.

Blair Ainslie, CEO of Seajacks said: “We’re pleased with the progress that’s been made over the winter months. Our crews and construction teams are operating effectively and efficiently, having installed 6 monopiles in 8 days during periods of stable weather.

As a result of this good work, Zaratan is still scheduled to start turbine installation in May, despite having encountered significantly more adverse weather than anticipated in the original schedules.”

Leviathan continues to make solid progress with TP installation, though a consistently low air temperature has impacted progress.

Blair added: “Over the winter months, consistently low temperatures has impacted progress with the TP’s, but because we have a strategy of utilising separate vessels for installation of transition pieces this will not materially impact start-up of WTG installation.

As the Main Installation Contractor on the Meerwind project, we are coordinating a significant number of sub-contractors on a daily basis,  including the Seahorse and Sand Piper for scour protection.

In the coming weeks, Seajacks will also be assisting with the coordination of the Oleg Strashnov on the Meerwind OWF. Our client has contracted this heavy lift vessel to install the substation jacket and topside, and has added to its scope installation of up to 18 Transition Pieces in order to make up for time lost due to the additional adverse weather incurred during the winter months.”

When Zaratan has completed installation of all 80 monopiles, she will transit to Amsterdam to undergo 14 day mobilisation prior to commencing installation of 80 Siemens 3.6MW turbines. Zaratan will transport and install 5 turbines at a time, and is expected to commence the first load out from Esbjerg in May.

“Current plans are for Seajacks Zaratan to install 56 turbines and Leviathan to install 24. We are proud to be the first installation contractor to transport Siemens 3.6MW turbines in one complete tower section. It is testament to our in-house engineering teams and it will go long way to further improving efficiency by reducing loading and installation times.”

In their role as main installation contractor, the Seajacks team are responsible for providing all lifting and associated engineering services that are required to facilitate loading transportation and installation of foundations and turbines. Seajacks is a world leader in the offshore installation of Siemens 3.6 turbines, having installed 230 of these turbines successfully since May 2010 for DONG Energy at Walney 1 and 2, Greater Gabbard for Fluor and Sheringham Shoal for Statoil.

[mappress]

Press release, March 18, 2013; Image: WindMW