Heerema Vlissingen and HFG Engineering, both operating companies of Heerema Fabrication Group (HFG) in Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands have successfully executed the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with ABB in Sweden for the fabrication of a 400 MW offshore HVDC-station in the German sector of the North Sea on behalf of energy producer E.ON.
Heerema Vlissingen together with sister company HFG Engineering, originally specialised in offshore engineering and fabrication of structures for clients in the oil & gas industry, have successfully leveraged their expertise to execute this challenging project in the relatively new offshore wind energy market. The engineering started in November 2007 and construction in March 2008. On 10 May the jacket and topside were loaded on a sea-going barge for transportation to the German sector of the North Sea. After seafastening operations, the platform has set sail on 25 May from Heerema Vlissingen and will arrive on site at 26 May. The 4,800 tons weighing HVDC-station, will be installed by Heerema Marine Contractors in Leiden (the other division of the Heerema Group) in a waterdepth of approximately 40 meters.
“A remarkable joint effort of our first EPC project in the emerging worldwide offshore wind energy sector. This project has definitely positioned HFG Engineering, as well as the HFG fabrication yards, as a fully integrated service provider for engineering, procurement, fabrication and project management”, according to President Stan Bogiel of HFG Engineering.
Wim Matthijssen, Managing Director of Heerema Vlissingen continues: “We are proud to successfully have executed this challenging project in a relatively new market for Heerema Fabrication Group . Together with our highly skilled workforce and project management team we were able to complete this project on schedule. But also thanks to our close relationship with our client ABB. The successful execution of this project has opened opportunities for Heerema Fabrication Group in the globally renewable energy industry.”
The HVDC-station will be part of one of the world’s largest offshore wind farm ‘Borkum 2’ located 130 kilometres off the German coast in the North Sea. The ‘Borkum 2’ wind farm, owned by E.ON Netz Offshore GmbH in Germany, will be the most remote wind farm in the world. The 80 wind turbines will generate 400 MW in total, sufficient to power approx. 375,000 homes. ABB developed an innovative HVDC Light (High-Voltage Direct Current) transmission, which convert the energy generated by the offshore wind turbines at the offshore HVDC-station and transmits it through a 175 kilometers direct current cable to shore.
Click here for the Dutch press release
For more information:
Heerema Fabrication Group B.V.
Jeanny C.M. de Leeuw
Telephone: +31 [0]78 – 625 0425
Cell: +31 [0]6 51897062
E-mail:
j.deleeuw@hfg-heerema.com