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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--With nuclear power in Germany no longer on the cards, energy giants RWE AG (OTC:RWEOY) (Essen, Germany) and E.ON AG (OTC:EONGY) (Dusseldorf, Germany) are setting their sights on North Sea wind.
The companies have teamed up with WindMW GmbH (Bremerhaven, Germany) to construct a giant maintenance and operations base for their combined offshore windfarms at the southern port on the island of Heligoland, 40 kilometres off the German coast. The port will see the construction of three service and operating stations on a site of 10,000 square metres. The base will serve a total of three offshore windfarms with a combined generating capacity of 883-megawatts (MW). The windfarms include RWE's Nordsee Ost (295 MW), E.ON's Amrumbank West (approximately 300 MW) and the Süd and Meerwind Ost (288 M) which is being built by WindMW.
The planning conditions will be released by the end of the summer. Work will start and finish before the end of next year, and will involve the development of the site, the upgrading of the quay edge and the creation of ten more mooring berths by the construction of an additional landing pier.
"We are already starting the construction of our Nordsee Ost offshore wind power plant at the end of the year," explained Prof. Martin Skiba, Head of Offshore Wind Power at RWE Innogy. "We intend to use Heligoland as a service centre already during the construction phase, but especially for the entire lifetime of the wind power plant. With its exposed position, some 40 kilometres off the coast, this island is cut out for developing such an operations base. It is all the more important to create the necessary infrastructure quickly now."
Germany's government has already committed to investing more money and resources in renewable energy following its shock decision at the end of May to ditch nuclear power completely in the coming decade. For additional information, see July 28, 2011, article - Germany Raises Renewable Energy Targets.
Offshore wind is expected to play a significant role although right now, Germany's offshore sector is still relatively young. Germany's first offshore windfarm, the 60-MW Alpha Ventus facility was commissioned in April 2010. For additional information, see April 29, 2010, article - Germany Commissions First Offshore Windfarm.
Jens Assheuer, Managing Director of WindMW GmbH explained the vital role that Heligoland will play going forward. "Offshore wind power systems require more maintenance than onshore wind turbines because the stresses created by waves and seawater are greater. Short distances and good downstream service logistics are therefore essential preconditions for the economically efficient operation of such power plants. Standard maintenance of an offshore wind power system takes about one to two days per year. Unforeseen events may require additional maintenance. For the planned operations base on Heligoland this means that vessels with service staff will set off to the offshore windfarms and return when the work is complete in the evening every day. The vessels will be loaded with tools and spare parts and refuelled from the quay edge."
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Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. IIR's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
The companies have teamed up with WindMW GmbH (Bremerhaven, Germany) to construct a giant maintenance and operations base for their combined offshore windfarms at the southern port on the island of Heligoland, 40 kilometres off the German coast. The port will see the construction of three service and operating stations on a site of 10,000 square metres. The base will serve a total of three offshore windfarms with a combined generating capacity of 883-megawatts (MW). The windfarms include RWE's Nordsee Ost (295 MW), E.ON's Amrumbank West (approximately 300 MW) and the Süd and Meerwind Ost (288 M) which is being built by WindMW.
The planning conditions will be released by the end of the summer. Work will start and finish before the end of next year, and will involve the development of the site, the upgrading of the quay edge and the creation of ten more mooring berths by the construction of an additional landing pier.
"We are already starting the construction of our Nordsee Ost offshore wind power plant at the end of the year," explained Prof. Martin Skiba, Head of Offshore Wind Power at RWE Innogy. "We intend to use Heligoland as a service centre already during the construction phase, but especially for the entire lifetime of the wind power plant. With its exposed position, some 40 kilometres off the coast, this island is cut out for developing such an operations base. It is all the more important to create the necessary infrastructure quickly now."
Germany's government has already committed to investing more money and resources in renewable energy following its shock decision at the end of May to ditch nuclear power completely in the coming decade. For additional information, see July 28, 2011, article - Germany Raises Renewable Energy Targets.
Offshore wind is expected to play a significant role although right now, Germany's offshore sector is still relatively young. Germany's first offshore windfarm, the 60-MW Alpha Ventus facility was commissioned in April 2010. For additional information, see April 29, 2010, article - Germany Commissions First Offshore Windfarm.
Jens Assheuer, Managing Director of WindMW GmbH explained the vital role that Heligoland will play going forward. "Offshore wind power systems require more maintenance than onshore wind turbines because the stresses created by waves and seawater are greater. Short distances and good downstream service logistics are therefore essential preconditions for the economically efficient operation of such power plants. Standard maintenance of an offshore wind power system takes about one to two days per year. Unforeseen events may require additional maintenance. For the planned operations base on Heligoland this means that vessels with service staff will set off to the offshore windfarms and return when the work is complete in the evening every day. The vessels will be loaded with tools and spare parts and refuelled from the quay edge."
View Project Report - 300012972 73000178 73000120
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. IIR's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
