Germany-based utility company E.ON and Norwegian oil and gas company Statoil have now begun construction of the 385 MW Arkona offshore wind project, a new wind farm located 35 kilometers northeast of the island of Rugen in the German Baltic Sea.
During a groundbreaking ceremony, the companies marked the start of construction by laying the cornerstone at the Mukran ferry port in Sassnitz.
According to the two companies, the construction site is prepared, and the tracks for the cables connecting the turbines to the substation have been surveyed. Further, progress is also being made on the connection to the grid on the mainland via three submarine cables supplied by the transmission system operator 50Hertz, with 2 kilometers of cables currently being laid daily.
EEW Special Pipe Constructions has also started production of the steel monopole foundations in Rostock, while Bladt Industries began manufacturing the house-sized connecting elements in early August in Aalborg.
E.ON will begin installation of the large components at sea in 2017.
The EUR 1.2 billion wind farm is calculated to supply renewable energy to 400,000 households, saving up to 1.2 million tons of CO2 annually. According to E.ON and Statoil, 60 of Siemens’ 6 MW turbines are slated for installation, and the facilities will rest on monopile foundations in 23 meters to 37 meters of water. The companies note that Statoil energy group has a 50% share in the project, and E.ON will be responsible for the construction and operation of the wind farm.
The Arkona wind farm is scheduled to be fully operational in 2019.
