Belgian offshore installation services company DEME Offshore said Thursday it was making strong progress with monopile installation at RWE’s Kaskasi offshore wind farm in Germany.
"A substantial part of the scope is in DEME’s hands, including the majority of the 39 monopiles and all the transition pieces, turbines and inter-array cables," DEME Offshore said. According to the company, 22 monopiles have been installed so far.
DEME said Thursday that works had started with the successful installation of the substation foundation, followed by the installation of the substation topsides using the DP2 heavy lift vessel ‘Gulliver’, operated by DEME’s joint venture company Scaldis.
The 342-megawatt Kaskasi offshore wind project is being built 35 kilometers north of the island of Heligoland. The offshore substation is where electricity generated by each wind turbine flows to be converted to the necessary transmission voltage.
RWE had contacted DEME Offshore as additional support for the foundation installation works.
"DEME Offshore immediately took action when RWE reached out and mobilised its DP2 offshore installation vessel ‘Neptune’ in combination with the ‘Blue Tern’ from Fred Olsen for the monopile installation. DEME Offshore is managing these tandem transport and installation operations and is providing all the sea fastening, handling, and hammering equipment," the company explained.
DEME’s turbine installation vessel ‘Sea Challenger’ has been lined up for installing the transition pieces and subsequent WTG installation, the latter under a direct charter with Siemens Gamesa.
According to DEME, the company has developed a smart technical solution which allows a fast change of installation modus in between the transition piece and WTG installation.
Also, DEME’s XXL cable installation vessel ‘Living Stone’ will lay and bury all 42 inter-array cables and perform associated works.
By the end of 2022, a total of 38 offshore wind turbines are expected to be fully operational at the Kaskasi offshore wind farm. Then, the offshore wind farm will have the capacity to supply the equivalent of approximately 400,000 households with green electricity every year.