Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has secured a contract to install the 112MW EnBW Albatros offshore wind farm in Germany.
The contract, by German utility Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg (EnBW), follows an order for the neighbouring 497MW Hohe See offshore wind farm.
For the Albatros project, Siemens Gamesa will supply 16 of its direct drive SWT-7.0-154 wind turbines, which will be erected on monopile foundations and the grid connections will be established via Siemens Offshore Transformer Module (OTM).
The two wind farms are expected to offer synergies in respect to planning, construction and operation for the EnBW.
Installation of the turbines is expected to begin next spring and both the projects are located 90 km north of Borkum Island in the German North Sea, where water depths can reach up to 40m.
Commissioning of the Albatros wind farm is expected to take place in 2019. Siemens Gamesa will initially provide maintenance services for the wind farm over a period of five years.
Albatros is the first German offshore wind farm where Siemens will supply as a full-scope project. With this project, Siemens will be introducing its compact OTM in the German market.
The German-Spanish company claims that it has been able to reduce the size and weight of the AC substation by 30%, thanks to new compact electrical components and cutting auxiliary systems.
Reduced size is advantageous in terms of installation and maintenance as well, claims the company. Albatros will be connected to the power grid via the Borwin Beta HVDC converter-platform which is located approximately 25 kilometers away and had been delivered by Siemens as well.
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Offshore CEO Michael Hannibal said: "EnBW Albatros allows us to demonstrate our broad competence in offshore projects, ranging from project specific engineering services and the beneficial combination of power generation and transmission technology to service and maintenance concepts.
"This project has a high relevance for us since we will turn the 112-megawatt wind power plant into a highly profitable investment for our customer via cutting edge technology and smart details."
Image: Siemens Games receives order to supply 112MW turbines for Albatros offshore wind farm. Photo: Courtesy of Phil_Bird/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.