DONG Energy is exactly halfway in the wind turbine installation project at Anholt Offshore Wind Farm.
On Wednesday 6 March 2013 at 14.43, the installation vessel, Sea Jack, had lifted the tower and the nacelle in position on turbine F26, which is positioned at the northern end of Anholt Offshore Wind Farm. 55½ wind turbines have now been erected at the wind farm, and the task of erecting the grand total of 111 wind turbines is now exactly halfway.
Sea Jack just managed to complete the operation before leaving the area to deal with other tasks, but turbine installation activities continue at full speed. The three installation vessels; Sea Installer, Sea Power and Sea Worker will continue work at the site and will be exploiting suitable weather windows to install wind turbines. In April, Sea Installer will be needed elsewhere, and the remaining two installation vessels will then complete the installation work.
DONG Energy expects the erection of all 111 wind turbines to be completed and the wind turbines to be operational by summer, as planned.
“We’ve reached a significant milestone with the installation of these wind turbines. Despite the installations having been carried out during the winter period, we’ve succeeded in maintaining satisfactory progress in the realisation of Anholt Offshore Wind Farm, and in February alone, 20 wind turbines have been installed,” says Flemming Thomsen, DONG Energy’s Project Director.
The weather sets the pace
Turbine installations are dependent on weather conditions, and the harsh weather seen this winter has meant that, for several periods, it has not been possible to install wind turbines.
Wind and waves have reduced installation speed due to technical limitations of the installation vessels, but all weather windows enabling installation have been used optimally.
Wind turbine installation activities commenced on 1 September 2012 and the first wind turbine was erected on 3 September. It was this very wind turbine that produced the first power generated by Anholt Offshore Wind Farm at 11.00 on Friday 21 September.
On 6 March at 14.43, 55½ wind turbines had been erected, and of these 48 wind turbines had been energised and 33 had produced power.
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Press release, March 11, 2013; Image: dong energy