E.ON and Statoil have reached another milestone in the construction of the 385MW Arkona offshore wind farm project in the Baltic Sea with the topping out ceremony for the operation and maintenance (O&M) building at Mukran Port in Sassnitz on the island of Rügen.
Nearly EUR 4 million will be invested in this 3,000m2 complex which consists of offices and common spaces as well as a warehouse for spare/replacement parts.
Operation and maintenance of the wind farm will be handled entirely from the harbour in Sassnitz.
Two transport ships will be able to dock directly in front of the complex and be loaded and unloaded using a crane, as well as bring the technicians to the wind farm. The O&M building is part of harbour extension for Arkona project.
The port is preparing and building the necessary wharf space and berths, including a heavy-duty wharf space, on a total area of 25 acres.
Building completion is planned for June and is a precondition for the wind farm to enter the construction phase.
The initial foundation is slated to be laid by mid-year and preparations for this are also on schedule, E.ON said.
The production of the monopile foundations has begun at the EEW facility in Rostock, and the transition pieces will be manufactured by Bladt Industries in Aalborg, Denmark.
Construction of the offshore transformer station by the French shipyard STX in the docks at Marseille is progressing well, according to E.ON.
The Arkona project is located 35 kilometres northeast of the island of Rügen and will comprise 60 Siemens 6MW wind turbines installed in in water depths from 23 up to 37 metres.