Wärtsilä, in consortium with IMS Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, has been engaged by RWE Innogy, the renewable energy arm of the German utility company RWE, as its designer to provide the basic design and consultancy services for a jack up crane vessel. Two such vessels with GL class-approval have been ordered by RWE Innogy to be used for constructing offshore wind farms. The shipbuilding contracts have been awarded to Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd. (DSME), and delivery of the vessels is scheduled for late 2011.
Tailored specifically for year-round construction of offshore wind farms, the Wärtsilä-IMS advanced jack-up crane vessel is designed to remain operational under harsh Northern European sea and wind conditions. It also sets new standards for reliability and environmentally sound operation.
The basic design by Wärtsilä-IMS takes into account the specialised needs involved for the construction of offshore wind farms. The vessels are 100 metres long and 40 metres wide, and feature an 800-ton crane for transporting and handling the foundations for the latest generation of up to 5MW and 6 MW offshore wind turbines, as well as the turbine towers, nacelles, rotors and blades. The vessels have sufficient deck area and deadweight capacity to carry the components for up to four complete wind turbine units or several foundations. For operation in shallow water, a four-point mooring system is used, while in deeper waters a DP2 dynamic positioning system controlling steerable thrusters is employed.
The vessels are designated to undertake foundation and turbine installation at RWE Innogy’s currently planned wind farms – “North Sea East”, “Innogy North Sea 1” and “Gwynt y Môr”.
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Caption: Wärtsilä/IMS advanced jack-up crane vessel for constructing offshore wind farms have been ordered by RWE Innogy, Germany.
Media contact:
Ms Marit Holmlund-Sund
Senior Manager, PR and Marketing Communications
Wärtsilä Corporation
Direct tel: +358 10 709 1439
Direct fax: +358 10 709 1425
e-mail: marit.holmlund-sund@wartsila.com
Internet: www.wartsila.com
Wärtsilä in brief:
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.
In 2009, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.3 billion with more than 18,000 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.
www.wartsila.com
IMS in brief:
Based in Hamburg, IMS Ingeniergesellschaft mbH specialises in offshore and hydraulic engineering. In the offshore wind sector, IMS offers consultancy and design services for wind turbine foundations, substation platforms and installation vessels.
www.ims-ing.de
RWE Innogy in brief:
RWE Innogy pools the renewable energy expertise and power plants of the RWE Group. The company plans, builds and operates facilities generating power from renewable energies. RWE Innogy aims to vigorously grow renewable energies in Europe. Onshore and offshore wind power projects are a focus of the company's activities. However, RWE Innogy will also expand biomass and hydroelectric power. The company is also pushing ahead with the development of new technologies for the future. In fact, RWE Innogy plans and operates biogas facilities, wave and tidal power plants as well as solar thermal power plants. In addition, RWE Innogy supports innovative companies in their start-up and growth phase by providing short-term finance.
www.innogy.com
