Global Tech I Offshore Wind GmbH opened its site office in Bremerhaven. It is located at the old ferry house at the Geeste, which was built in 1912 by the Weser River Navigation Company to operate a ferry service from Bremerhaven to Nordenham. From this historic building 30-person team will build the North Sea wind farm Global Tech I.
The tasks of the team include logistics and handling of wind energy components, monitoring and coordination of shipping and air transport to the wind farm followed by establishment of Global Tech I. In the summer of this year, the first foundations will be handled in Bremerhaven and shipped to the construction site, located about 180 kilometers from Bremerhaven in Germany’s exclusive economic zone.
“We decided to choose Bremerhaven as the location for our construction management offices, since the handling of our largest components is taking place here. Thus, HOCHTIEF shipped Solutions’ parts of the wind turbines and a large part of the foundations of the imperial harbor from the ABC peninsula to its installation vessels,” says Arjen Schampers , Technical Director of the Global Tech I Offshore Wind Ltd .
The wind turbine manufacturer, AREVA Wind and WeserWind, who produce the majority of the foundations for Global Tech I in a joint venture with Erndtebrücker Eisenwerke, are located in the immediate vicinity. The proximity to the maritime companies is beneficial for smooth construction of the wind farm.
“Bremerhaven has already established a reputation as a manufacturing base and the companies that deal with the construction, operation and management of maintenance and servicing of offshore wind farms are of great interest. The proximity to numerous maritime services at the site will create additional synergies. We are pleased that Global Tech I has seen this and chosen Bremerhaven,” says Nils Schnorrenberger , managing director of Bremerhaven Economic Development Company BIS .
Global Tech I is one of the first offshore wind farms to be built in the North Sea. The wind field is equipped with 80 wind turbines of 5 MW class with a total installed capacity of 400 Megawatts. According to the current planning it will provide electricity from renewable energy for approximately 445,000 households by the end of 2013.
The Weser shipping company still operates under the name Weserfähre, carrying out a regular service between Bremerhaven and Nordenham.
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Offshore WIND staff, June 13, 2012; Image: Global Tech I