Dutch offshore installation firm Van Oord has secured a contract from the Spanish energy company Iberdrola for the construction of the German Windanker offshore wind farm.
Van Oord's scope includes the transport and installation of 21 XL monopiles and transition pieces and the design, supply and installation of the inter-array cable grid.
Windanker will have an installed capacity of 315 MW. The development of the wind farm is in line with Germany’s plans to develop 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.
For the installation of the monopiles Van Oord will deploy its heavy-lift installation vessel Svanen.
By then, the vessel will have undergone a major upgrade, making it ready to handle the next generation of monopile foundations for offshore wind projects.
The vessel is tailored to navigate the Baltic Sea’s tough conditions. Its track record on projects such as Baltic 2, Arkona, Danish Kriegers Flak and Baltic Eagle demonstrates its expertise in this challenging offshore area.
Also, Van Oord will deploy its dedicated cable-laying vessel Nexus for the installation of the inter-array cables, with a total length of 29 kilometres. Trencher Dig-It will bury the cables to the required depth.
The wind farm is expected to be commissioned in 2026.
Offshore wind installation company Havfram has been hired by Iberdrola for the installation of 21 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines at Windanker.
Windanker wind farm will reinforce the Baltic Hub, which will add more than 1,100 MW of installed offshore wind capacity, comprising the Wikinger with 350 MW, and the Baltic Eagle with 476MW.