REpower: First wind energy turbine erected for Thornton Bank offshore wind farm in Belgian North Sea

Hamburg, Germany - REpower Systems AG has successfully installed the first of six wind energy turbines for the Belgian offshore wind farm Thornton Bank. The project, at about 30 km off the coast, is the first Belgian offshore wind farm.

For the first of three construction phases, the third-largest German wind turbine manufacturer is providing six REpower 5M offshore turbines with a rated power of five megawatts (MW) each, adding up to a total of 30 MW. Contract partner is the Belgian company C-Power.

The multi-megawatt turbine which has just been erected in Belgium is number twelve of the type REpower 5M installed by the Hamburg-based company. Gravity based foundations were erected and carried out to sea to form the foundation for the six wind turbines in Thornton Bank. The installation method planned for Thornton Bank is one where various components are assembled individually: After erecting the two-part tower and the nacelle, the final stage involves lifting the rotor, already completely pre-assembled on land, into place. This innovative method developed by REpower is also cost-saving. All work at sea is performed in a water depth of around 25 metres using jack-up drilling platforms.

Dr. Martin Skiba, Head of the Offshore Business Unit at REpower, was delighted at this important milestone and commented.

Source: IWR Online, 29 Jul 2008