3 minute read
Energy Island
PLANS REVEALED FOR DANISH OFFSHORE ENERGY ISLAND
The VindØ consortium which comprises two of Denmark’s largest pension funds, and Denmark’s largest utility company has revealed plans for the world’s fi rst energy island in the North Sea
The artifi cial island is to be built in the Danish part of the North Sea about 50 miles from land on the Western coast of Denmark. The current plans call for the island is to be established by 2030 and to be connected to 3GW of off shore wind from nearby wind farms. In the longer term the island will be connected to 10GW of off shore wind and it will also be home to energy storage systems and Power-to-X systems that involve converting wind generated electrical power into hydrogen as a fuel. There will also be accommodation, O&M facilities, a harbour for support vessels and HVDC converters for transmission and inter-connectors.
The plans suggest that the artificial island will be constructed on a base of submersible concrete boxes which can be floated out and then in-filled. An outer breakwater on the exposed westerly side will help to break up larger waves before they impact on the island itself. Feasibility studies have been taking place for some time and it is expected that the final decision on the location of the energy island and the accompanying wind farms is expected by spring of this year. The Danish Energy Agency and Energinet have begun preparations for the detailed studies of the seabed and the impact of the islands and offshore wind turbines on the environment. These studies are expected to be completed in 2024. Prior to that, the government has issued an offshore wind map identifying the zones where the wind farms which would be connected to the energy islands could be developed with the whole project resulting in a considerable expansion of the offshore wind potential in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.
In addition to this North Sea energy island, Denmark also has plans to develop a second energy island in the Baltic Sea which would have a capacity of 2GW by 2030.
8 An outer
breakwater on the exposed westerly side will help to break up larger waves before they impact on the island
Yunlin wind farm transport phase complete
The transportation phase for the Yunlin off shore wind farm in Taiwan has been completed, paving the way for the installation phase to begin.
Jumbo has completed the transportation part of its Transport & Installation contract for the wind farm. Jumbo mobilised ships from its own Heavy Lift Vessel fleet, together with subcontracted deck carriers and HLVs from third parties, to transport the 40 monopiles, 120 monopile sections and 40 transition pieces (TPs) from yards in the Netherlands and Germany to Taiwan. The transport of components required no less than 21 intercontinental voyages, at times with 10 TPs per voyage.
“Our eye for detail in the early contractual stages enabled the smooth progress in execution of transport. We highlighted
8 Jumbo has completed the transportation
part of its contract for the Yunlin off shore wind farm in Taiwan
Photo: Jumbo
potential bottlenecks in the port logistics in Taiwan well in advance, tackling them in an open and candid fashion to safeguard our client,” said Boudewijn van der Garden, Jumbo commercial manager specialised in offshore renewables. “Moreover, we supported direct berthing at the fabrication yard in Germany; this saved a lot of time. We re-used the saddles and other seafastenings; this saved a lot of money.”
Jumbo secured the Yunlin T&I contract with Yunneng Windpower Co., a Taiwanese subsidiary of wpd AG, in June 2019.
In addition to the transportation phase of the project, Jumbo carried out the the engineering, design and fabrication management of the supporting and seafastening elements such as cradles, grillages and load spreader beams, procurement of additional equipment and services, as well as the chartering of third-party vessels.
Jumbo is now ready for installation of 80 transition pieces and will be working at the Tier I level, contracting additional support services such as monopile cleaning specialists and TP grouting teams.
