Monopile installation completed at Arcadis Ost 1 offshore wind farm
A major milestone was achieved at Parkwind’s Arcadis Ost 1 offshore wind farm over the weekend when DEME Offshore installed the final XXL monopile in the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Rügen. This was the first project executed by DEME’s new floating installation vessel ‘Orion’, which installed the foundations using its DP3 system, according to the company's release.
Every element of this offshore wind project pushes the limits of industry standards. The 28 XXL monopiles are the largest monopile foundations ever installed, weighing more than 2,000 tonnes each, and having a diameter of 9.5 m and a length of up to 110 m.
Parkwind’s Arcadis Ost 1 project in the Baltic Sea is located North-East of the famous Kap Arkona Cliffs, within the 12 NM Zone of Germany with water depths of up to 45 m and challenging soil conditions. It will get it’s 27 Vestas V 174 – 9,5 MW wind turbines later this year and produce green electricity to supply up to 290.000 households.
‘Orion’ was running on LNG during the installation campaign and is equipped with a 5,000-tonne crane and a tailor-made, motion compensated pile gripper system able to handle enormous XXL monopile foundations. The integrated motion compensated pile gripper tool enables the crew to upend and drive the monopiles, which are transported horizontally on deck. Coupled with the vessel’s DP3 capability, the motion compensated gripper keeps the monopiles vertical and stable despite waves and vessel motions.
In addition, an entire set of new specialist tools have been used during this maiden project for ‘Orion’. These innovative tools include an adjustable monopile sea fastening system, a newly-built automated monopile lifting spreader beam to enable the horizontal lifting of the XXL monopiles, automated quick-lifting tools to avoid manual handling on deck, as well as several new noise mitigation systems.
Arcadis Ost 1 is a 257 MW offshore wind farm developed in the German territorial waters of the Baltic Sea, northeast of the island of Rügen. Arcadis Ost 1 has been developed by Parkwind with the participation of PMV and OstseeWindEnergie GmbH, a project company of the three partners Oberhessische Versorgungsbetriebe AG, Stadtwerke Bad Vilbel and WV Energie AG. The wind farm will begin operations in 2023 and will supply enough green energy to power an equivalent of 290,000 households.
DEME is a leading contractor in the fields of offshore energy, environmental remediation, dredging and marine infrastructure. DEME also engages in concessions activities in offshore wind, marine infrastructure, green hydrogen, and mineral harvesting. The company can build on more than 145 years of experience and is a front runner in innovation and new technologies. DEME’s vision is to work towards a sustainable future by offering solutions for global challenges: a rising sea level, a growing population, the reduction of emissions, polluted rivers and soils and the scarcity of mineral resources. DEME can rely on about 5,000 highly skilled professionals and operates one of the largest and most technologically advanced fleets in the world.
