Iberdrola has successfully installed the 70 wind turbines comprising Wikinger offshore wind farm, the renewable infrastructure which the company is building in German waters of the Baltic Sea.
It is a new and significant milestone for the project as it enters the final phase for the plant’s commissioning, having completed the installation of the offshore substation and the inter-array cables connecting the wind turbines with the substation. 50Hertz, the transmission system operator responsible for connecting offshore wind farms in the German Baltic Sea to the mainland, is currently performing with highest priority the final cable laying works and the technical tests in order to be able to transport the electricity from Wikinger in a reliable manner to the consumer centres.
Iberdrola, Adwen and key subcontractor Fred. Olsen Windcarrier have met all the strict deadlines set for the construction of Wikinger, overcoming the technological challenges associated to an engineering work of this magnitude and the difficulties derived from extreme weather conditions during the winter months.
The strict implementation of health and safety guidelines by all companies involved in the construction of Wikinger has enabled works to be delivered with a zero-accident operation rate.
A flagship project
With an investment of close to €1.4 billion, Wikinger has 350 megawatts (MW) installed capacity and it will generate clean energy equivalent to avoiding the emission of 600,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere per year.
This facility, located off the north-eastern coast of the island of Rügen, will supply some 350,000 German households, representing more than 20% of the energy demand in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the region where the wind farm is located.
The AD 5-135 turbines, with 5 MW unit capacity each, were manufactured by Adwen in its factories in Bremerhaven and Stade (Germany).
They are the largest wind turbines installed by Iberdrola to date. They comprise a 222 ton nacelle, a rotor that is 443 feet in diameter with 254 feet long blades, and a 246 feet high tower.
Adwen is progressing with the start-up of the turbines, which will be operating in ‘island mode’, waiting for the energisation of the grid connection as soon as possible.
Fred. Olsen Windcarrier was responsible for transporting and installing the wind turbines using its jack-up installation vessel Brave Tern. Fred. Olsen related company Global Wind Service supplied 40 installation technicians for the project, with over 100 more for quality control, completion and service to safely and efficiently complete installation on 22 October.
Source: Fred. Olsen Windcarrier