Germany-based utility company E.ON has awarded the project certification contract for the new 385 MW Arkona offshore wind farm to certification and standards body DNV GL. According to DNV GL, the project covers the inspection phases, from manufacturing, transport, installation and commissioning, to take the wind farm into operation.
E.ON is responsible for building and operating the Arkona wind farm, which will be located 35 kilometers northeast of Rügen Island, in the Baltic Sea, Germany. DNV GL adds that energy company Statoil has a 50% stake and has been involved in the project from the start.
Upon planned completion in 2019, the project will supply renewable energy for approximately 400,000 households and offset 1.2 million tons of carbon-dioxide emissions a year, according to DNV GL.
Having worked on the project since 2014, DNV GL was initially appointed by E.ON for the full design assessment of the wind farm’s turbines and the offshore substations. Currently, DNV GL and E.ON say they are collaborating to finalize the detailed design of both the offshore transformer station and turbine and support structures.
Arkona marks the 14th offshore wind farm in Germany alone that DNV GL is supporting with its certification services, out of a total of 16 German wind farms currently in operation or under construction.
“As the pressure to produce clean energy at a cost-competitive price is growing, ensuring that the objectives of new wind energy projects are being met at each stage in the run-up to their operation is vital,” says Steffen Haupt, global head of business development and sales at DNV GL – energy, renewables certification. “Supporting this venture from start to finish enables us to contribute best to the success of this important offshore project, and we are excited to work side by side with E.ON to get Arkona implemented.”
According to DNV GL, the stringent inspections of the certification phase are designed to ensure that the assumptions made in the design assessment phase are validated and, thus, support the goal to provide optimal reliability over the project’s lifetime.
DNV GL says it has type-certified both the Siemens SWT-6.0-154 turbine, which will be supplied to the project, as well as other manufacturers providing components to the Arkona wind farm.
