Image:Jan De Nul
Ørsted and Jan De Nul Group have unveiled the commencement of the first foundation installation for the Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm (913 MW), destined to become the largest in German waters. Situated 53 kilometers off the coast of the Borkum island, Jan De Nul Group’s crane vessel, Les Alizés, successfully deployed the initial monopile foundation of the 83 planned structures.
The monopile foundations for Borkum Riffgrund 3, reaching up to 100 meters in length and weighing a staggering 1,500 tons, are crafted by Steelwind in Nordenham and the Lindø facility of Bladt Industries A/S in Denmark. These colossal structures will provide support for the next-generation turbines, the SG 11.0-200 DD, scheduled for installation next year.
This milestone follows closely on the heels of the Gode Wind 3 project (253 MW), where Les Alizés proved its mettle by installing 24 monopiles for the upcoming wind turbines, including a monopile and topside for the offshore substation.
Peter De Pooter, Manager Offshore Renewables at Jan De Nul Group, expressed confidence in Les Alizés, stating, “Our crane vessel Les Alizés demonstrated its capability to handle the ever-growing monopile foundations during the installation of Gode Wind 3. We look forward to further collaboration with Ørsted on Germany’s largest wind farm to date.”
Jorg Kübitza, Managing Director of Ørsted in Germany, highlighted the significance of Borkum Riffgrund 3, stating, “With Borkum Riffgrund 3, we are setting new standards for our industry—both in terms of capacity and business model. This project represents the first offshore wind farm in Germany awarded with a bid of 0 euros per MWh in offshore wind tenders, enabling us to immediately support our corporate clients in reducing their CO2 emissions. This scale of achievement is only possible through the use of renewable energy from offshore wind farms.”
Notably, Borkum Riffgrund 3 is set to be constructed without an offshore substation (OSS). The innovative connection concept, developed in collaboration with high-voltage grid operator TenneT, establishes a direct link from the wind turbines to TenneT’s DolWin5 conversion platform at sea via 66 kV export cables.
Together with Gode Wind 3, Borkum Riffgrund 3 will boast a combined capacity of over 1.1 GW, nearly doubling Ørsted’s installed offshore wind capacity to approximately 2.5 GW. Anticipated to be operational in 2024 and 2025, these two wind farms signify a substantial leap towards Germany’s renewable energy goals.
This strategic move aligns with Ørsted and Jan De Nul Group’s commitment to driving sustainable solutions and marks a significant step in the evolution of offshore wind energy in Germany.
Source:Jan De Nul
