Heavy-lift vessel Svanen installs first of 50 Baltic Eagle monopiles

The first monopile out of 50 to be installed at the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm is sitting in place, as Van Oord’s heavy-lift vessel Svanen completed the installation. 

In addition to the transport and installation of the wind turbine foundations, Van Oord noted it is responsible for the supply, transport and installation of approximately 70 kilometres of inter-array cables.

The Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm is located 30 kilometres northeast of the German island of Rügen and covers a 40 square kilometre area. With a production capacity of 476 MW, Iberdrola’s Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm will deliver renewable energy to 475,000 households while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 1 million tonnes annually. It is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2024.

Installation method
The installation strategy for the foundations is based on the feeder concept, which involves floating the foundations to the Svanen at the offshore installation site. The monopiles are being transported to the site from EEW in Rostock, Germany. Once they have arrived, the Svanen lifts them upright. After precise positioning by the gripper, pile-driving begins.

Van Oord already started transportation of the transition pieces from the port of Aviles in Spain to the Van Oord site at the port of Mukran in German beginning of March. The transition pieces are scheduled to be installed in the second quarter.

Later this year, Van Oord’s cable-laying vessel Nexus and trencher Dig-It will be deployed to install and bury the inter-array cables.