Van Oord has secured financing for two pilot wind turbines at offshore wind farm Deutsche Bucht. A new type of foundation, called the Mono Bucket, will be tested on the project and fitted with an 8.4 MW turbine. In addition to the Balance of Plant contract for the wind farm, Van Oord will also be responsible for the production and installation of these Mono Bucket foundations.
Northland Deutsche Bucht GmbH recently announced that the Deutsche Bucht Mono Bucket pilot demonstrator ("Demo") project has reached financial close. Deutsche Bucht is the third North Sea offshore wind farm of Canadian energy company Northland Power. It will be the first wind farm to test this new type of foundation under commercial conditions. The Mono Bucket foundation consists of a steel cylinder, called the 'suction-bucket', on which a shaft is mounted. A transition piece and an 8.4 MW wind turbine are installed on top of it.
Benefits
The advantage of the suction-bucket construction is that the suction-bucket is firmly anchored in the seabed by its own weight and a vacuum. As a result, no monopiles need to be driven, eliminating the need for noise control measures such as bubble screens. This has clear environmental benefits, such as less disturbance to the porpoises. In addition, the Mono Bucket can be completely removed from the seabed at the end of its service life.
Deutsche Bucht offshore wind farm
The Deutsche Bucht wind farm will comprise a total of 33 wind turbines, of which 31 will be on monopiles and two on Mono Buckets. It is to provide a capacity of 269 MW, enough to supply green power to around 328,000 households per year. Offshore construction work for the wind farm is expected to start this summer. The Mono Bucket foundations will be installed in the second quarter of 2019. The wind farm is scheduled to be commissioned in the second half of 2019.
Source + photos: Van Oord
