GeoSea, subsidiary of the Belgian DEME Group and specialising in offshore constructions, has just signed a contract with Northwind NV for the construction and installation of foundations for Northwind’s offshore wind farm project off the Belgian coast.
The project includes the installation of 73 steel monopiles and transition elements as foundations for the turbines and the transformer station. GeoSea will utilise its newest installation ships, designed for the installation of offshore and far shore wind farms.
Additionally, together with offshore sister company Tideway, GeoSea will lay the cables which will connect the turbines of the wind farm to one another.
GeoSea will also be involved in the installation of the Vestas wind turbines.
The foundation works will take place in the spring and summer of 2013. The installation works of the turbines will be completed by the end of 2013. More than 200 people will be employed on the Northwind project during construction at sea. The contracts represent a turnover of more than EUR 230 million for GeoSea.
Amongst GeoSea’s most recent special-purpose jack-up vessels are the self propelled DP2 jack-up vessel ‘Neptune’, the DP2 jack-up platform ‘Goliath’ and the jack-up vessel ‘Innovation’, which will be delivered in Gdynia (Poland) this summer. At that time, the Innovation will be the largest and most modern vessel on the market with a payload of 8,000 tonnes and a crane capable of lifting 1,500 tonnes.
GeoSea is one of the global market leaders in the installation of offshore wind turbines with projects in the United Kingdom, Germany, Scandinavia and, of course, Belgium. It will conduct this important work after the works at the Belgian C-Power wind farm on the Thornton Bank. This ensures the continuity of expertise in this regard.
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Offshore WIND staff, June 28, 2012; Image: GeoSea