The final foundation was deployed in January this year and the wind farm is also connected by the subsea cables
DEME begins turbines installation at 487MW SeaMade offshore wind farm. (Credit: DEME.)
DEME Offshore has commenced installation of wind turbines at the 487MW SeaMade offshore wind farm in the Belgian North Sea.
The firm said that the offshore construction of the SeaMade wind farm, which is claimed to be the largest offshore wind farm in Belgium, commenced in September last year.
The last foundation was deployed in January this year and the wind farm is also connected by the subsea cables.
DEME Offshore business unit director Michael Glavind said: “After the successful installation of the foundations, offshore substations and subsea cables, the start of the turbine installation campaign brings us another step closer to the production of green energy.
“This is also the first turbine installation project for our offshore installation vessel ‘Apollo’, which has just completed a challenging foundation piling project in Scotland.
“This vessel’s ability to multitask highlights the versatility of our fleet and our ability to handle all aspects of the most complex offshore wind farms.”
Apollo will install 58 Siemens Gamesa 8.4 MW turbines
DEME’s DP2 offshore installation vessel Apollo will now install 58 Siemens Gamesa 8.4 MW turbines on the monopile foundations.
The vessel loaded the first turbine components at the Renewable Energy Base Ostend (REBO).
The firm will use it as the marshalling harbour for the pre-assembly of the Siemens Gamesa turbines.
The vessel will transport the tower elements, nacelles and blades, with a total weight of 1,000 tonnes each, from Ostend for installation at the SeaMade site.
Apollo features an 800tonnes, leg-encircling crane and a 2,000m² deck with a load-carrying capacity of 15t/m².
SeaMade and Otary CEO Mathias Verkest said: “The offshore installation of 58 8.4 MW wind turbine generators in both concession areas will turn SeaMade into the largest wind farm in the Belgian North Sea.
“SeaMade and Rentel will soon have a combined operational capacity of about 800 MW. Otary will enter into this final installation phase with great expertise, knowledge and focus.”