Intertek’s Energy and Water consultancy (formerly Intertek METOC), is to act as Technical Project Manager for surveys to TenneT, the European electricity grid operator, on its German offshore wind connections. The work will see Intertek design and manage geophysical and geotechnical surveys for the offshore substations and export cable routes for offshore wind projects. Intertek previously supported TenneT for more than ten years on the BritNed (UK to Netherlands) power cable interconnector, a JV with National Grid.
Germany is currently the world’s second largest offshore wind market, and racing to connect its burgeoning offshore facilities to the onshore grid. To enable this it requires experienced companies so it can ensure its interconnections are completed to the highest possible standards within a short time-frame. Intertek has been selected to work with the TenneT team in their offices near Hannover, Germany to deliver this expertise.
“The German market has a unique set of challenges to overcome if it is to meet its offshore wind energy targets for 2020 and beyond,” said Frank Beiboer, Managing Director, Intertek’s Energy and Water consultancy. “There are a number of German projects ready to export power to the grid, and with the majority of them in excess of 100 kilometres offshore, the supporting infrastructure, and the export cabling in particular, must be of the highest design and installation standards.”
Uwe Lammert, Strategic Buyer for TenneT TSO GmbH said: “Intertek’s track record in delivering European offshore projects was a key decider for us in choosing to work with the business.We require technical partners that have excellent knowledge of the offshore interconnections industry, and understand the challenges facing the German offshore market.”
To date, Intertek has worked on five offshore wind energy projects in Germany, mainly providing technical due diligence services for a consortia of high profile lenders and banks. Intertek understands risk and provides solutions in the areas of seabed conditions and survey management, metocean and geotechnical design basis, cable routeing and burial specification, and marine installation contracts, programming and contingency planning. To support these services, Intertek are expanding their offices in Hamburg, Germany.
Intertek is at the forefront of advanced technologies in testing, inspection, certification and advisory services to the many industrial sectors worldwide. It will be exhibiting at this year’s Husum wind energy conference at Stand number 4E06 and presenting on the 19th September “Meeting the regulatory challenges” for the new standards for wind turbine electrical systems being released in North America.
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Press release, September 19, 2012; Image: TenneT