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Specialised equipment for offshore wind parks.

The construction, operation and maintenance of wind turbines at sea and their connection to the power grid all present a logistical challenge to the developers of offshore wind parks. Special transportation vehicles, ships and platforms are required to transport, install and maintain the very large and heavy individual components of the offshore turbines, and specialised vessels are also required to lay the cables connecting the turbines to the substation at sea and connecting this to the onshore power grid. Furthermore work on an offshore wind park has to be carried out under a tight schedule, as the weather can be very changeable. Specialised technologies are therefore an absolute necessity.

Vehicles and platforms for the installation and maintenance of offshore wind parks.

Strong demand and competition for use.

Offshore equipment from the oil and gas industry and the experiences gained there were used in the construction of alpha ventus, Germany's first offshore wind park. The competition which exists for the use of available offshore equipment both for wind parks and in the oil and gas industry is resulting in global bottlenecks. The supply of offshore equipment (such as large jack-up platforms) is limited, and long-term planning is therefore required for its use anywhere in the world. As additional offshore wind parks are built, bottlenecks in available capacities are becoming apparent. But if they are to take on commissions to build the offshore equipment required, shipyards must have specialised knowledge at their fingertips, and be able to provide qualified staff and the relevant technical facilities. Potential contracts offer German shipyards a great opportunity for future development.

Equipment for Germany's offshore wind parks.

Special offshore equipment is needed for the construction and ongoing operations of Germany's offshore wind parks outside the 12 nautical mile zone. In addition to equipment which is unlikely to be in short supply, such as tugs, pontoons and supply vessels, highly specialised equipment must be available on a permanent basis for the ongoing operation of a wind park.

A look at further examples from the offshore world emphasises the need for specialised equipment at all of the construction and operation stages in a German offshore wind park. Three complex jack-up platforms for the installation of offshore turbines have been commissioned and/or built by German companies in the last two years alone.

Conclusion.

25 offshore wind parks have already been approved outside the 12 nautical mile zone in the German areas of the North and Baltic Seas, and planning permission for a further 50 projects has been applied for. Other European countries also have firm plans for or have already started construction of offshore wind parks. Specialised offshore equipment is needed for each of these projects, generating a huge demand which offers great opportunities to the German shipbuilding industry.


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