EnBW has tapped Siemens Gamesa for the installation of the 112 MW Albatros offshore wind farm, representing the newly merged company’s first full-scope project in Germany.
Siemens Gamesa will supply 16 direct-drive SWT-7.0-154 wind turbines on monopile foundations and a compact Siemens offshore transformer module (OTM), the first in the German market. Compared with a conventional AC substation, the OTM offers a reduction in weight and size of more than 30%, says Siemens Gamesa.
The company also recently inked an agreement for the neighboring, 497 MW EnBW Hohe See offshore wind farm. Starting in spring 2018, Siemens Gamesa will install both wind power plants in parallel.
The projects are located 90 kilometers north of Borkum Island in the German North Sea with water depths of up to 40 meters. After commissioning in 2019, Siemens Gamesa will initially provide service and maintenance for the turbines over a period of five years.
EnBW Albatros will be connected to the power grid via the Borwin Beta HVDC converter-platform, located approximately 25 kilometers away and delivered by Siemens.
As with EnBW Hohe See, Siemens is also partnering with Belgian offshore construction specialist GeoSea for Albatros regarding construction and installation of the monopiles. Inter-array cabling and coordination of the construction work will remain in the scope of EnBW.
“EnBW Albatros allows us to demonstrate our broad competence in offshore projects, ranging from project-specific engineering services and the beneficial combination of power generation and transmission technology to service and maintenance concepts,” states Michael Hannibal, CEO of offshore for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.
