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Vestas OffshoreSo much more than traditional Wind Power
Operating as a wholly owned subsidiary under the auspices
of the Vestas Group, Vestas Offshore focuses exclusively on
planning, constructing and operating wind farms at sea. The
motivation for Vestas to create an independent business unit
for this area was that working with offshore installations
involves much more than simply transferring expertise
from onshore sites to the sea. The field of offshore wind
power demands very special competences in all areas of
the process – competences that form the very foundations
of Vestas Offshore.
The reason we are so far advanced in this area is that we
take our offshore work seriously and work seriously offshore.
In fact, Vestas has installed more than two thirds of all the
offshore wind turbines currently operating worldwide. Vestas
Offshore is quite simply second to none when it comes to
experience in operating in the tough conditions of the open sea.
Vestas Offshore is truly global, and our organisation ensures
that we always cover every aspect of every single project,
in line with the specific requirements of each and every
customer. In fact, the organisation has been developed to
create a very strong company that is fully equipped and ready
to work with the specific conditions and the special base of
experience that are crucial to the successful completion of
offshore projects.
The shared ambition is naturally to create unique, rewarding
and fully customised projects – on time, every time. Projects
that constantly push back the boundaries of the conventional,
but which always live up to our promises.
Since 2002, we have been almost constantly at work,
completing six projects and installing 236 turbines.
Hundreds of our employees have worked thousands of hours
– with no serious accidents.
This brochure is intended as an introduction to Vestas
Offshore, our general work methods and some of the projects
we have already completed.
Unsurpassed experience
Installing offshore wind power plants is a unique and highly specialised business – So is Vestas Offshore
Vestas Offshore is synonymous with professionalism,
overview and the capacity to take a holistic
approach to projects from the initial idea to the
completed wind farm, dealing with the whims of
Mother Nature and all the other special challenges
that apply to offshore projects. Vestas Offshore is a
prime example of strength and flexibility combined.
It is an independent company in the Vestas Group,
a company distinguished by highly specialised
competences combined with peerless experience
in the field of offshore wind power.
Keeping the pioneering spirit alive
From the first-ever offshore turbine to the largest offshore
wind farm in the world – Vestas has helped to write the
book of offshore wind power. Since we erected the first-ever
offshore turbine off the coast of Sweden, in 1990, we have
installed more than 700 MW of capacity in offshore projects
in Europe, including the largest offshore wind farm in the
world to date (Horns Reef, DK) and five other turnkey wind
farms: North Hoyle, Scroby Sands, Kentish Flats, Barrow (UK)
and Egmond aan Zee (NL).
Back at the beginning, the projects were primarily minor
pioneer ventures, such as the 1995 Tunø Knob (DK) project
that involved the installation of ten turbines. However, these
projects subsequently began to develop in both size and
complexity; for example, even though the installation of
the turbines at Yttre Stengrund (S) in 2001 was blessed
with relatively gentle weather conditions, we still had to
design foundations that could withstand the influence of
pack-ice.
The maturing marketIn 2002, Vestas completed installation of the Horns Reef
wind farm, which was the first of several large-scale offshore
projects. Projects involving wind farms at sea pose extra
demands on the technicians who are to handle their service
and maintenance. For example, the Horns Reef turbines can
only be reached by helicopter for much of the year due to
adverse weather conditions. That is why Vestas Offshore
employees receive special offshore training and draw on
the experience the company has built up over the years
– experience that forms the basis for the know-how and
skills that working offshore demands.
Meeting customer expectationsEvery single offshore wind farm project is unique, with its
own special challenges and distinctive features – in the same
way as every customer is unique, with individual wishes
and requirements. We at Vestas Offshore are fully aware of
the importance of meeting these specific requirements, and
we have the experience to do so. Everything that has been
accomplished offshore – from the delivery and installation
of turbines, to the completion of state-of-the-art turnkey
wind farms – was done first by Vestas. We were the first wind
power company to take on the challenges of the offshore
sector.
Our experience stretches back to the days of the offshore
wind pioneers. And we work to expand this experience day
by day by day through our work on new offshore projects. So
even though every single project is unique, Vestas Offshore
always has the staff and the know-how to deal with any
offshore challenges involved.
Every project is unique
Our experience in the field of offshore wind projects is second to none
Country SwedenOwner VattenfallInstallation year 2001 Number of turbines 5Turbine type NM72-2.0MWMW: 10
Country DenmarkOwner Dong EnergyInstallation year 2003 Number of turbines 1Turbine type V90-3.0MWMW: 3
Country NetherlandsOwner Shell & NUONInstallation year 2006 Number of turbines 36Turbine type V90-3.0MWMW: 108
Country NetherlandsOwner WP Q7 Holding B.V.Installation year 2007 Number of turbines 60Turbine type V80-2.0MWMW: 120
Country DenmarkOwner Vattenfall & DONGInstallation year 2002 Number of turbines 80Turbine type V80-2.0MWMW: 160
YTTRE STENGRUND FREDERIKSHAVN
Country United KingdomOwner E.ONInstallation year 2000 Number of turbines 2Turbine type V66-2.0MWMW: 4
BLYTH
Country United KingdomOwner E.ON UKInstallation year 2004 Number of turbines 30Turbine type V80-2.0MWMW: 60
SCROBY SANDS
Country United kingdomOwner Npower RenewablesInstallation year 2004 Number of turbines 30Turbine type V80-2.0MWMW: 60
BARROW
Country United KingdomOwner VattenfallInstallation year 2005 Number of turbines 30Turbine type v90-3.0MWMW: 90
KENTISH FLATS
Country United KingdomOwner Dong EnergyInstallation year 2006 Number of turbines 30Turbine type V90-3.0MWMW: 90
NORTH HOYLE
Country United KingdomOwner E.ON UKInstallation year 2008 Number of turbines 60Turbine type V90-3.0MWMW: 180
ROBIN RIGG
OFFSHORE WINDPARK Q7 EGMOND AAN ZEE HORNS REV
Country DenmarkOwner Dong EnergyInstallation year 1995 Number of turbines 10Turbine type V39-500kWMW: 5
TUNØ KNOB
In a harsh Offshoreenvironmentplanning is essential
Construction stages
In April 2002, work was started on the installation
of the largest offshore wind farm in the world
– a plant comprising eighty V80 wind turbines at
Horns Reef in the Danish part of the North Sea.
Despite the fact that this was a new venture,
no-one ever said: “that cannot be done”. Vestas
Offshore worked with a number of companies
including A2SEA, which supplies installation
vessels, and the working relationship with the
customer – the Danish utility company Elsam
(now a part of DONG Energy) – also ran smoothly.
In fact, all parties displayed great commitment
to making the first really large offshore project
a success.
As the first of its kind, this giant project put
the Vestas Health & Safety policy to the test
in the challenging offshore environment. The
policy really proved its worth here and has
subsequently been applied and refined through
Vestas Offshore’s work since 2002 to install 236
turbines in six major projects. In fact, hundreds
of employees have worked thousands of hours
offshore without any serious injuries.
Good planning was the key to success of the
Horns Reef project, and the pioneering spirit
was maintained throughout. As a result, the
work was completed on schedule and the last
turbine was connected to the electricity grid in
December 2002.
Pioneering spirit in the wild west Horns Reef, DK
Installation and grouting of the transition piece on the foundation section
In April 2003, Vestas Offshore started work on
the first major offshore wind farm in British
waters. The customer was energy company
RWE npower, and the result can be seen today
in the thirty V80 turbines of the North Hoyle
Wind Farm, approximately 8 km off the coast
of North Wales.
This project was an exciting challenge, as it
was to be the first of its kind in Britain. Vestas
joined forces with Mayflower Energy to form
a consortium to handle both the project
management and construction of the plant. The
plans were laid and work commenced. However,
as is often the case with offshore work, a number
of unforeseen factors came into play, but thanks
to flexibility, engineering finesse and closely
targeted planning, Vestas succeeded in delivering
the wind farm to the customer on time.
All in all, the project to establish the first major
offshore wind farm in British waters provided
Vestas Offshore with plenty of experience
in the areas of management, organisation,
environmental issues and safety, and its success
was attributable to the overwhelmingly positive
atmosphere and to the enthusiasm of everyone
involved.
Turnkey project heralds winds of change North Hoyle, UK
Installation of the tower on the transition piece
The Scroby Sands project at a site off the coast of
Norfolk, in the east of England, involved building
a wind farm comprising thirty V80 turbines on
a sandbank that moves up to three metres a
day. It was quite a challenge that demanded
very precise planning, especially as it involved
working with a great many subcontractors.
Even though Vestas Offshore was working on
a large, turnkey project, the job was completed
without any accidents, which must be considered
a great success – particularly when taking into
account that almost 200 people were involved
in installing the foundations, and almost 60 in
the erection and commissioning of the turbines
themselves.
With this project, Vestas Offshore also reaffirmed
Vestas’ role of industry pioneer through the
approach taken to installing the foundations,
and the successful completion of the project
was largely attributable to the excellent
working relationship with the customer and
the local companies. All the parties involved
supplemented one another and generously
shared their specialist knowledge.
A project constantly on the move Scroby sands, UK
Lifting the nacelle for installation on top of the tower
In December 2003, construction work was
started on the Kentish Flats plant, sited 7 km off
the coast of Kent, close to the Thames Estuary in
the south of England. This was to be the largest
offshore wind farm in British waters to date,
and the installation of the thirty V90 turbines
involved ran smoothly, due in no small part to
the excellent dialogue with the customer, the
Danish utility company Elsam A/S that is now
owned by Dong Energy.
The Kentish Flats project, today owned by
Swedish utility Vattenfall, was carried through on
remarkable team spirit and peerless flexibility.
It developed into something of a showcase
project: innovative and challenging, solid and
secure, and backed by great support from the
base organisation.
Project meetings were held every 14 days, and
Elsam posted representatives on site, where
they participated with great commitment and
extensive knowledge. This made it possible for
Vestas Offshore to ensure that its work was
fully in line with customer expectations at all
times. As a result, the hand-over took place on
8 December 2005 - right on time according to
the contract. The phenomenal team spirit and
the painstaking planning were crucial to the
success of the venture.
24-carat team effort Kentish Flats, UK
Fitting the third blade to the hub
In 2006, Vestas Offshore literally found itself in
deep water - and approximately 12 km from the
shore - when work was started on the Egmond
aan Zee project, the first offshore wind farm
in Dutch waters. The order for a turnkey wind
power plant comprising thirty-six V90 turbines
was placed by Noordzeewind, a joint venture
involving Shell and Nuon, a Dutch utility.
Once again, the weather was an important factor
during the construction phase. Weather forecasts
were constantly monitored, and work often had
to be done at night when the wind dropped,
but everything ran very smoothly as everyone
involved in the project displayed remarkable
flexibility. Moreover, the decision to engage
local contractors made it possible to establish
efficient logistics and generate good backing
from the local population.
Naturally, working in such extreme conditions
made high demands on safety. However, this
was never a problem as both the customer and
Vestas applied stringent requirements in this
area and proved an excellent match in the fields
of communication and project management
standards.
The key feature of this project was excellent
teamwork. The wind farm was built via a joint
venture with Ballast Nedam, a Dutch offshore
construction company, and the two companies
succeeded in making constructive use of each
other’s knowledge and experience in a way that
gave the whole project a lift.
Success in deep water Egmond aan Zee, NL
First offshore wind farm in Dutch waters
The weather was a major challenge when Vestas
joined forces with the engineering company of
Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) in 2005 to establish
an offshore wind farm for Dong Energy and
Centrica Renewable Energy. The new wind farm
was to comprise thirty V90 turbines, and the site
chosen was in the Irish Sea, 7 km from Barrow-
in-Furness. Vestas Offshore quickly adapted to
the extreme weather conditions and adjusted its
plans to ensure that the demanding conditions
did not adversely affect the project.
It was an exciting project, where Vestas’
competences and experience were really put
to the test, but KBR and Vestas worked well
together, exchanging experience and sharing
responsibility.
This exchange of experience is crucial to any
project and it depends more on personal
interaction than on written instructions. This
is why project managers are now involved at
a much earlier stage, to give customers the
opportunity to clear up issues of a technical
nature early on in the process, and to meet the
people they will actually be working with on the
project.
Transfer vessel ready for crew transfer at boat landing point
Reaping the wild windBarrow, UK
Every single offshore project starts on dry land. It takes thorough preparation to outline, structure and commission a project – and it takes ongoing dialogue to complete it. From the first contact with the customer to delivery and service, Vestas Offshore runs its projects on the basis of a clearly defined main process.
To start with, Vestas Offshore puts together a project team involving representatives from all parts of the organisation to make sure of matching customer wishes and requirements in all areas. The project and service departments are involved as early as the negotiation phase to ensure that the contract agreed upon is practical to work with during the implementation of the project itself. At the same time, Vestas Offshore sets up a broadly based, inter-disciplinary team to balance Vestas’ and the customer’s expectations so as to avoid misunderstandings and disappointments.
On signature of the contract, the Sales Department transfers responsibility for the project to the Project & Technology Department, and, in close consultation with the customer, Vestas Offshore starts work on designing and planning in detail. Risk assessments and Health & Safety plans also constitute an important part of the work, as Vestas Offshore gives highest priority to the safety of all those involved.
As soon as the first activities have been initiated on site, the project team actually moves out to the site to ensure close contact and dialogue with the customer and the sub-contractors. During the construction phase, the local service technicians who will subsequently be responsible for operation and maintenance also become actively involved in the project so as to ensure a smooth transfer from construction to operation. Work can then be started on the assembly and erection of the turbines themselves.
A dedicated technical team ties up all the mechanical aspects before the commissioning team carries out the start-up and test procedures.
Close contact is essential when dealing with the major logistical challenges involved in building an offshore wind power plant. There are many factors to take into account. There are the onshore logistics of transporting wind turbine components from production facilities to the preassembly harbour, either by road or by sea. Then there is the matter of the preassembly site itself – with the cranes, storage facilities and site offices required to prepare the turbines for loading onto the installation vessels. And once these preparations are complete, the turbines have to be transported to the installation site where the actual installation process is to be carried out. Finally, the newly installed turbines have to be commissioned and tested. This is an intricate operation that involves a number of crew transfer vessels, whose operation has to be co-ordinated with that of specialist vessels and equipment for the installation of foundations and sub sea cables. Of course, all theses activities have to be organised and aligned to take into account weather conditions and to ensure that the highest priority is accorded to the safety of all the workers involved.
Throughout the process, Vestas Offshore keeps the customer up-to-date with status reports, Health & Safety statistics and reports on QA and QC issues. The company always strives to establish a close dialogue and a constructive working relationship with both customers and suppliers, and the actual work process is based on years and years of offshore experience. This puts Vestas Offshore in a strong position and makes it possible for the company to live up to its aim of making work process even better by continuously collating and implementing new experience and know-how.
Project preparation
Dialogue is crucial in fulfilling customer expectations
The firstCornerstone is founded on
solid ground
We are Onsite
Service and safety are two sides of the same coin. At least they are when you are working offshore and you have to adapt to very varied and, at times, very challenging conditions. Both the operation and maintenance services we provide for our customers, and the safety of our colleagues are areas to which we at Vestas Offshore give the highest priority.
We have a large, dedicated offshore service organisation which, over the years, has harvested the specialist experience that lays the foundations for the successful operation of offshore projects. Our contracts cover the operation and maintenance required to ensure that our customers’ wind farms constantly return optimal performance. We ensure this, for example, by linking a local team to each and every wind farm – a team that specialises in handling precisely the turbine models in question, and that has the competence and overview to perform even
the most demanding service and maintenance functions onsite.
Moreover, Vestas Offshore devotes appreciable resources to Health & Safety, and in this area, we actually have our own organisation that focuses exclusively on offshore challenges. This ensures that we always follow the very best procedures in our work, and, at the same time, enhance everyday attention to safety.
Another of our strengths at Vestas Offshore is our dedicated warehouse of spare parts and tools, as this assures rapid delivery of these key components, and guarantees that both spare parts and tools are always certified and maintained in full working order.
Cost-effective operation is based on efficient service and maintenance
11/0
7 U
K
Vestas Offshore A/SAlsvej 21 8900 Randers Denmark Tel. +45 97 30 00 00 Fax +45 97 30 00 01 vestas@vestas.comwww.vestas.com
To see a complete list of our sales and service units, visit www.vestas.com
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