The first three XXL monopiles for the Arcadis Ost 1 Offshore Wind Project have been completed and have set sail for the Port of Roenne, the Arcadis Ost 1 wind farm marshalling harbor. This is the first set of 28 monopile units (27 WTG, 1 OSS) that will be transported to Roenne over the next months where preparations for the installation of the offshore wind farm have begun.

The fabrication of these XXL monopiles started in August 2021 at the Steelwind Nordenham factory. The OSS monopile, which is one of the first to be transported weighs just over 2.100 tonnes, measures 110m and has a diameter of 9,6m, making it one of the biggest monopile in offshore wind history and the biggest in Europe. The WTG monopiles weigh 2.000 tonnes, measure 100m and have a diameter of 9,4m.

Three cranes are required for lifting the monopiles onto the barge. The operation involves the use of two fixed quay cranes operated by SRT and one mobile crane, ensuring safe load-out operation.

Wim Verrept, Arcadis Ost 1 Project Director, commented: “The successful load-out of the first monopiles sets our installation schedule in motion. After more than two years of preparation, planning and a successful collaboration with our partners, we are impatiently anticipating the beginning of installation activities in the Baltic Sea”

Dr. Andreas Liessem, Managing Director of Steelwind, added: “Steelwind is proud to have produced and delivered one of the biggest and heaviest Monopile foundations ever build for the Arcadis Ost 1 wind farm. Together with Parkwind, DOPSL and our subcontractors we have met and mastered multiple challenges in relation to weight and dimensions. We are looking forward to soon seeing those XXL Monopile foundations generating climate friendly energy for the coming decades and contributing to the energy turnaround.”

“We are happy to be again in the driving seat of this pioneering step in the Offshore Wind. Our heavy lift floating installation vessel Orion is in final preparation for the Arcadis Ost project and will be ready to install these gigantic Monopiles of 2.100T in May later this year. Being able to handle and install Monopiles of this large size will play a huge role in the further cost cutting of offshore wind costs and as DEME Offshore we are thrilled to be a leader in this evolution” says Bart de Poorter, General Manager DEME Offshore.

Arcadis Ost 1 is a 257MW 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 up to 290,000 households.

Steelwind Nordenham GmbH, a Dillinger Group company, has been manufacturing monopiles and transition pieces in Nordenham since 2015, and now also produces single-piece monopile foundations with unit weights of up to 2,400 tons. The single-piece monopile foundation replaces the previous design with a separate monopile and transition piece by integrating certain parts of the transition piece into the monopile. The monopile can then be up to 120 meters long. The steel for the monopiles comes from Dillinger, Europe’s leading heavy plate manufacturer, located in Saarland. SWN currently employs 275 people.

DEME Offshore is the leading global solutions provider in the offshore energy industry with a successful track record spanning more than three decades. To date, DEME Offshore has installed more than 2,500 wind turbines and contributed to more than 70 offshore wind farms. As well as carrying out challenging Transport and Installation projects, talented teams and expert crew are able to handle the most complex EPCI and Balance of Plant projects. DEME Offshore is part of the DEME Group, a world leader in the highly specialised fields of dredging, solutions for the offshore energy market, environmental and infra marine works. The company can build on more than 140 years of know-how and experience is a front runner in innovation and new technologies. DEME can rely on 5,200 highly skilled professionals across the globe. With a versatile and modern fleet of over 100 vessels, backed by a broad range of auxiliary equipment, the company can provide solutions for even the most complex project.

Source: Parkwind