Spanish energy company Iberdrola awarded Van Oord a contract for its 476 MW Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. The Dutch marine contractor will transport and install the foundations and ensure the supply, transport and installation of inter-array cables. The offshore works for the Baltic Eagle project will commence in 2023.
The Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm is located 30 kilometres to the northeast of Rügen island off the coast of Pomerania (Germany) and is Iberdrola’s second offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. The project, with a capacity of 476 MW, will feature 50 Vestas V147 wind turbines of 9.53-MW. The foundations will be supplied by Asturian Windar (TP) and German EEW SPC (monopiles). The project is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2024.
Svanen, Nexus and Dig-It
Van Oord plans to deploy its 8,000-tonne heavy-lift installation vessel Svanen to install the 50 foundations. So far, the Svanen has installed more than 700 foundations throughout Europe and the vast majority of monopiles in the Baltic Sea, including those for Baltic 2, Arkona and Kriegers Flak. Van Oord’s cable laying vessel Nexus and trencher Dig-It will be deployed to lay the inter-array cables. Van Oord will customise the Dig-It to ensure that it can handle the challenging soft soil conditions in the Baltic Sea.
Arnoud Kuis, Managing Director Van Oord Offshore Wind: “We are very pleased to be working with Iberdrola again, this time on the Baltic Eagle project in the German Baltic Sea. Combining the installation of foundations and the supply and laying of cables will ensure efficient project execution.”
Offshore wind in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Eagle represents the second large offshore initiative promoted by the Iberdrola group in Germany, after the commissioning of the Wikinger offshore wind farm (350 MW) at the end of 2017. The company also has another offshore installation currently in development in Germany: Wikinger Süd (10 MW). These three wind farms will give rise to the largest offshore wind complex in the Baltic Sea, with a total installed capacity of 836 MW and a joint investment of €2.5 billion. Several other countries, including Poland, Sweden and Estonia, are also exploring new opportunities for offshore wind in the Baltic Sea. Image: heavy-lift vessel Svanen. Credits: Van Oord
