Green energy company, Parkwind turned to Heerema Marine Contractors for a premiere in the wind turbine installation on commercial scale. The two companies have come together with Vestas to install the first of 27 Vestas V174 – 9.5 MW turbines at the Arcadis Ost 1 wind farm using a unique floating installation method. 

“The plan to use a floating installation method for Arcadis Ost 1 was announced for the first time in November 2019. Today, after almost 3 years of development and engineering, we have successfully executed the floating installation of the first Arcadis Ost 1 turbine. This innovative method has two main advantages. The first is zero seabed interaction especially important in areas of significant water depth or challenging soil conditions. The second advantage is a shorter installation cycle,” Heerema said in its statement.

To speed up the installation process, assembly and lifting operations are happening in parallel. One of the Thialf’s two main cranes lifts the pre-assembled WTG-tower to the foundation, whilst the second main crane is used to pre-assemble the WTG in parallel. For the latter, Heerema developed a method where the Rotor Nacelle Assembly (RNA) lift takes place on a so-called “support” tower on board of the crane vessel. The support tower provides a stable platform to allow a fast and secure assembly of the nacelle and the blades. Once pre-assembled the complete RNA is lifted as one piece onto the WTG tower in only one lift. The pre-assembly process on board the Thialf ensures full control thereby guaranteeing a safe and highly reliable installation environment. The reduced number of lifts between the vessel and the structure eliminates key risks of the floating installation. Vestas has delivered RNA lift-feasible components by developing new tools to support the offshore floating installation.

Eric Antoons, co-CEO of Parkwind commented, “The industry often talks about innovation, and this is what our teams at Parkwind mean by it. Together with our partners we create solutions for challenges that seemed impossible to overcome in the past. The floating installation method is the perfect example of what it takes to set new industry standards, and new standards mean new opportunities for offshore wind globally. Arcadis Ost 1 will soon be one of the world’s most advanced wind farms, thanks to its design, components, and installation method, all brought together by exceptionally talented teams. Now, with the first turbine installed, we trust that the project teams will successfully install the remaining 26 turbines.’

“This first installation is the result of extensive engineering, innovation, and the dedication of our team, alongside Parkwind and Vestas, who together have worked hard to deliver the first floating installation of a wind turbine generator using our novel RNA method. This moment is also a major milestone within the offshore wind industry, and Heerema will continue to develop and enhance our capabilities for the floating installation of offshore wind farms,” added Michel Hendriks, Chief Operating Officer of Heerema Marine Contractors.

It was further noted by Flemming Ougaard, Senior Vice President of Construction in Vestas Northern & Central Europe that this new innovative installation method promises to unlock the potential of many offshore areas around the world with challenging soil conditions.

The Arcadis Ost 1 is a 257 MW wind farm developed by Parkwind, located in the German territorial waters of the Baltic Sea, northeast of the island of Rügen and will generate enough green energy to power the equivalent of up to 290,000 households. It is Europe’s first wind farm equipped with Vestas’ V174-9.5MW turbines and Parkwind’s first international project. The installation campaign has started in June 2022 and wind farm’s final commissioning is planned in 2023.