The first construction phase in the DanTysk offshore wind park project, run by Vattenfall and Stadtwerke München (SWM) [Munich City Utilities], is now underway with the construction of the wind park’s substation.
The substation is being constructed in the Netherlands, not far from Rotterdam, as part of a joint venture SHJV with the specialist company Hollandia/Strukton. The work is expected to take until spring 2013. In summer 2013 the substation will be transported 70 kilometres by ship to its final destination off the island of Sylt, where it will be installed.
The substation, which will form the heart of the DanTysk wind park, is one of the most modern to be installed off the German coast. It will collect power from 80 wind turbines and provide the hub for the onward transport of the energy via a submarine cable to the transfer station at Büttel in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
The substation comprises two main parts: the “topside”, which houses all of the technical mechanisms, and the “jacket”, a steel construction, approximately 45 metres in height, which sits on the North Sea bed and supports the topside. Together both parts measure 75 metres in height and weigh around 3200 tonnes. That is the same weight as around 2300 medium-sized cars. The substation will be largely protected against the adverse weather conditions in the North Sea by its special design, which includes a wrap-around sealed cover. According to Holger Grubel, Head of the DanTysk Project at Vattenfall : “ The wind and elements will be kept outside. This will make work on the substation safer and ensure that the technical systems are as reliable as possible. ”
The 80 wind turbines at the DanTysk offshore wind park with a total capacity of 288 MW will generate clean power for 400,000 German households. Construction of the wind turbines at DanTysk is due to start in December 2012 and the start of operations at the wind park is set for the beginning of 2014.
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Offshore WIND Staff, March 19, 2012; Image: vattenfall