REpower Systems SE and Belgian offshore project development company C-Power NV have installed the first 6M, 28 kilometres off the port of Oostende, Belgium. The turbine with a rated power of 6.15 MW is the first of 48 REpower 6M to be constructed in the phases 2 and 3 of the Belgian offshore wind farm Thornton Bank.
In the early hours of 21 March the rotor star was connected to the nacelle by a team of C-Power and REpower engineers and the crew of Neptune, the installation vessel of GeoSea (DEME group) carrying the components for the turbine. Now the vessel Neptune is returning to the harbour of Oostende where the components for the next turbine will be loaded. The erection teams stay at the accommodation jack-up barge Vagant, which moves from one turbine to the next, for the whole installation process. The installation of the first 30 turbines for phase 2 of the wind farm is planned for 2012, and a further 18 are designated for installation during a third extension stage by mid-2013. In 2008, REpower already delivered and installed six turbines of the REpower 5M type for the first construction phase of Thornton Bank. For phases 2 and 3 of the wind farm, REpower’s scope of delivery covers the production and delivery of the nacelles, towers, blades and hubs as well as preinstallation in the port of Oostende. Furthermore, REpower is responsible for the installation, the commissioning and the test run of the turbines, and will deliver its full service product OFS for all three stages, which includes responsibility for operations and maintenance, as well as the transportation at sea.
In the early hours of 21 March the rotor star was connected to the nacelle by a team of C-Power and REpower engineers and the crew of Neptune, the installation vessel of GeoSea (DEME group) carrying the components for the turbine. Now the vessel Neptune is returning to the harbour of Oostende where the components for the next turbine will be loaded. The erection teams stay at the accommodation jack-up barge Vagant, which moves from one turbine to the next, for the whole installation process. The installation of the first 30 turbines for phase 2 of the wind farm is planned for 2012, and a further 18 are designated for installation during a third extension stage by mid-2013. In 2008, REpower already delivered and installed six turbines of the REpower 5M type for the first construction phase of Thornton Bank. For phases 2 and 3 of the wind farm, REpower’s scope of delivery covers the production and delivery of the nacelles, towers, blades and hubs as well as preinstallation in the port of Oostende. Furthermore, REpower is responsible for the installation, the commissioning and the test run of the turbines, and will deliver its full service product OFS for all three stages, which includes responsibility for operations and maintenance, as well as the transportation at sea.