REpower Systems and Ormonde Energy Limited, a subsidiary of Vattenfall AB, have signed an agreement this week for the supply of 30 REpower 5M offshore wind turbines with a total rated output of 150 MW. This is REpower’s largest ever offshore agreement in the UK.
The turbines will be shipped to the Ormonde offshore wind farm around 35 kilometres off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness in the northwest of England, which received approval from the UK Government in 2007.
David Hodkinson, Head of UK Development for Vattenfall Wind Power, said: "Vattenfall bought the Ormonde project last year and since then we have faced a number of issues including the weakening of Sterling and increased costs. Helped by the UK Government's announcement to review the support offered to offshore wind farms facing such pressures, our project team has now been able to make this key investment decision for the project and we are very pleased to have entered into a firm contract with REpower for the project's wind turbines."
The 30 REpower 5M turbine nacelles and hubs will be manufactured at REpower’s offshore manufacturing and logistics centre in Bremerhaven and should be ready for delivery from the end of 2010. The components will then be shipped to the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Rotor blades and tower segments will also be transported to Belfast, where pre-assembly is planned.
The turbines will then be shipped out to sea using a jack-up platform, where they will be installed on jacket foundations in water depths of between 17 and 30 metres. Construction will be carried out by Vattenfall and/or companies commissioned by Vattenfall AB, while operation and test-phase monitoring will be carried out by REpower. Vattenfall AB has also signed an offshore service agreement with REpower for a total of five years’ service and maintenance of the Ormonde wind farm.
Matthias Schubert, CTO of REpower Systems AG, said: “The conclusion of the Ormonde agreement is once again testament to the high level of confidence enjoyed by our offshore technology among customers across the world. We are delighted to supply 30 of our proven and reliable REpower 5M turbines to an offshore project of Vattenfall, one of the largest energy providers in Europe.” Since 2004, REpower has erected 17 turbines of this type both onshore and offshore.
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