Van Oord has completed the installation of two offshore high voltage substations (OHVS) and first 77 transition pieces at the 600MW Gemini offshore wind project in the Netherlands.
Northland Power holds a 60% stake in the Gemini project, which is being built in the Dutch part of the North Sea, 85km north of the Groningen coast.
Siemens Wind Power owns a 20% interest in the project, while Van Oord and HVC each hold 10% stakes respectively.
The 2500-tonne OHVSs will convert the electricity generated to 220V. They are connected to the Dutch power grid through export cables.
Two ships, including Van Oord’s Aeolus offshore installation vessel, will install the rest of 73 foundations for the project later this year. Wind turbines are due to be installed in the spring of 2016.
Van Oord Nexus cable-laying vessel is installing two 100km export cables, while the company’s Ham 602 vessel will install the cables between the foundations and the OHVSs.
The Gemini project, which is expected to be commissioned in 2017, will feature 150 Siemens 4MW wind turbines that will provide enough energy for 1.5 million people in the Netherlands.
Upon its planned completion in 2017, the facility will yield 2.6TWh of electricity a year and help in cutting down 1.25 million tons of CO2 emissions.
The project will play an important role in achieving European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive, which calls on all member states to reach a 20% share of energy from renewable sources by 2020.