Feature 2 | AsiA-PAcific
DSME wins wind farm construction vessel
order from Germany
RWE Innogy, the renewable energy arm of German utility RWE, has
commissioned South Korean yard Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine (DSME)
to build a special offshore wind farm construction ship.
T
he contract includes the option
for two further identical
construction vessels. The value of
each ship is approximately €100 million
(US$145 million) or €300 million for all
three. The first vessel is scheduled to be
completed in 2011.
The offshore wind farm construction
vessels ordered by RWE Innogy are
believed to be the first of their type
in the world. They are self-elevating,
self-propelled platforms and are able
to transport and install the largest
available offshore wind turbines –
including foundations. Due to be built
at 109m loa and 40m beam, the ships
can simultaneously transport and
install up to four turbines in the
multi-megawatt class. Daewoo shipbuilding & Marine offshore wind farm construction ship (credit: Daewoo
When the first vessel arrives at the shipbuilding & Marine).
wind turbine location it will achieve
accurate position by using six retractable
thrusts guided by a GPS system. The four is expected to deliver long-term beneficial in 2020. Through building these
jack-up legs are hydraulically extended economic advantages for development of advanced wind turbine installation
from the bottom of the vessel until they RWE Innogy’s offshore wind farms in vessels, we are well on our way to
are located on the bottom of the seabed, the Northern European offshore wind achieving our goal.”
which then allows the platform (hull) farm environment.
part of the vessel to be elevated and fixed Chairman of the board of directors at centimetre precision
clear of the sea. Utilising the 800tonnes RWE Innogy GmbH, Fritz Vahrenholt, The construction vessels will feature
main crane, the vessels can install up said: “The building of our own satellite control and can be fixed with
to four complete wind turbines from construction ships will overcome one of ‘centimetre precision’ for construction
their main deck to the individual the most important supply bottlenecks work at sea and operate in water depths of
offshore location. we face in the construction of wind farms more than 40m.
The vessels further enable the at sea. These ships will give us a decisive Head of Offshore Wind at RWE
installation process in harsh offshore time and cost advantage in the North Innogy, Martin Skiba, added: “The
weather environment throughout Sea and further afield in implementing construction ships of this special design
the year. This capability enhances our ambitious plans to expand wind are ideally suited to the construction of
operational performance by the energy.” marine wind power plants. Unlike the
combination of significantly reducing President and chief executive officer vessels which were previously used, they
the installation time and extended of DSME, Sang-tae Nam, said: are able to successfully install the largest
weather endurance when compared “Delivering these vessels will allow us wind currently in the 5 and 6MW class
to existing wind turbine installation to make significant steps towards our even under the harsh conditions which
barges. Following delivery and due to vision for our wind energy business, are often encountered offshore.”
their advanced design allied to DSME which is to become a top three world The ship capacities commissioned
building quality, the vessel performance leading company wind energy company in course of a worldwide invitation to
22 Offshore Marine Technology 1st Quarter 2010
DSME wins wind.indd 22 27/01/2010 14:07:42
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