DONG Energy notes the first of 77 foundations has been installed at the 277 MW Borkum Riffgrund 1, located in the German North Sea.
The Pacific Orca, an installation vessel, carried out the first four foundations and transition pieces to the construction area. The monopiles have a diameter of about 6 meters and a weight of up to 750 tons and were transported to the construction site by the 161-meter-long vessel. DONG says the ideal composition of the soil in the North Sea and the relatively calm weather in January ensured a rapid installation process in the water depth of around 30 meters.
"We had ideal weather conditions during the installation process. Calm sea and a low wind are perfect for the construction work," comments Andreas Elkjaer, project foundations manager at Borkum Riffgrund 1.
The wind farm is slated to be fully operational in 2015.
