Siemens has signed a contract with Danish utility Dong Energy, which has ordered a total of 89 3.6-MW wind turbines for the Borkum Riffgrund I offshore wind farm. This is Dong’s first offshore wind farm in German waters. The Danish developer has confirmed that it will invest around €1,250 million in the Riffgrund Borkum project, located 55 kilometres from the German coast, in waters up to 29 metres in deep. Dong estimates that construction of the 36 square kilometre project will commence in 2013, with the first wind turbines sending energy to the grid in 2014. In addition to installing the wind farm and bringing it into service, Siemens will be responsible for its maintenance during the first five years of life.
Referring to this project, Dong’s CEO, Ander Eldrup, said he was confident "that Dong Energy as a market leader within offshore wind will be able to play a vital role in the interesting and fast developing German market”. According to data released by the company, this will be the fifth German offshore project for which outright orders for Siemens machines have been placed. Vestas, meanwhile, intends to dethrone Siemens as global leader of offshore wind turbine manufacturers, by supplying 84 three-megawatt machines for the Gode Wind 2 wind farm. The array, owned by German promoter PNE Wind AG, will have a capacity of 252 MW and is located 33 kilometres from the island of Nordeney. It represents PNE’s first offshore wind farm project, and the company expects construction to commence in 2011 or 2012.
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