The first foundations for the 1.5 GW offshore wind farm Hollandse Kust Zuid have been loaded onto the installation vessel Seaway Strashnov at the premises of SIF on Maasvlakte 2, Rotterdam. The vessel is now on its way to the construction site, some 18 kilometres off the coast of The Hague and Zandvoort. The world’s first subsidy-free offshore wind farm is to become operational in 2023.
The foundations are built by SIF. The design for the monopiles is without TP. The parts normally attached to the transition piece, such as the work platforms and ladder, are now attached directly to the monopile. Each are specifically designed for their unique location. The heaviest and largest monopile weighs 955 tonnes and is 75 metres long, while the lightest and shortest foundation still weighs 735 tonnes and is 62 metres long. They will be installed at water depths ranging between 17 and 28 metres. The furthest wind turbine will be 36 kilometres off the coast.
Seaway 7 was awarded the contract to transport and install the foundations. The first batch left onboard their installation vessel Seaway Strashnov. Once on location, the vessel’s crane will install the monopiles by use of an hydraulic hammer. A bubble curtain is used to minimise the noise obstruction for underwater sea mammals.
Martijn Hagens, CEO Vattenfall Netherlands: “With the construction of the first subsidy-free offshore wind farm in the world we are starting a new chapter, demonstrating that this market is becoming mature. I am extremely proud of the step we’re now taking, bringing Dutch households and our industrial partners another step closer to fossil free living.”
Construction will take place until the winter and be resumed after the winter, next year. The installation of cables and turbines will follow. The first of 140 Siemens Gamesa 11 MW wind turbines are currently scheduled to be commissioned in the spring of 2022, with all turbines expected online by summer of 2023.
Largest offshore wind farm
Vattenfall is building the wind farm together with its recently announced partner BASF. With an installed capacity of 1.5 gigawatts, Hollandse Kust Zuid will be the largest wind farm at sea in the world. Vattenfall will make a considerable part of the fossil-free electricity generated by the wind farm available to Dutch households and business customers. BASF will use its share to make various production sites in Europe more sustainable. Source: Vattenfall Image: Paul Martens
