Installing the first Haliade 6MW-150 offshore in the North sea winter

Testing new tools and installation procedures to reduce cost of electricity

Company / Unternehmen: Alstom
Speaker / Referent: Frederic Hendrick
Position: VP wind offshore

Main Sponsor of WINDFORCE 2013 and WINDFORCE 2014

Abstract:
After installing the first prototype of its Haliade 6MW-150 onshore in France in 2012, Alstom progresses in its development plan with the installation of the first unit of its new generation turbine in the first quarter of 2013. Located off the Belgian coast in the Belwind wind farm concession, the project consists of the full scope from scour protection to piling, jacket installation, cable laying and turbine installation. This very first installation of its Direct Drive 150m rotor diameter turbine in the North Sea in the middle of the winter requires advanced project execution skills, to coordinate a comprehensive fleet of vessels for transporting the components to the marshaling yard as well as for the different installation campaigns. Installing such a large turbine at 32m depth, and about 50km from the shore implies using new types of transportation, involving new players, and solving new logistical challenges. Building on the lessons learnt from the first prototype onshore, new tools and procedures have been developed and will be presented in the paper. Thanks to the experience from this first offshore prototype, Alstom will keep improving its installation procedures, transport methods and tooling to minimize operations and time spent at sea, minimize project cost and risks, and maximize safety.