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FeedsHome: Winter 2009 › Full of energy
Full of energy
01/12/2009 | Channel: Manufacture, Renewable Energy, Equipment
Ballast Nedam Offshore Energy is making the most of the opportunities arising in the offshore wind turbine market
Boasting more than a century’s experience in civil and marine contracting, Ballast Nedam’s track record in the construction of buildings, bridges and offshore marine installations is exemplary. Choosing to focus in recent years on installing offshore wind farms, such as working on the development of the Egmond aan Zee field in the Netherlands, the company has broadened its scope of services to great effect.
Central to Ballast Nedam’s way of operating has always been its mix of design and construction services. All of its inventions can be feasibly built and the business has learnt to optimise the repetitive construction process in offshore construction. Marine structures, such as offshore wind farms, consist of just a few different elements that are installed in large numbers offshore. Therefore Ballast Nedam adopts an approach of focusing on detailed preparation, large onshore prefabricated elements and short offshore installation times. This strategy has enabled the company to limit offshore time and cost-related risks.
Ballast Nedam has enjoyed a busy 2009, adding numerous noteworthy projects to its references and reinforcing the business’ belief that there will be promising opportunities for further work in the offshore wind turbine market in 2010. In September of this year the company’s heavy lift vessel Svanen was commissioned by Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors to drive 56 steel piles for the foundations of the Belwind offshore wind farm off the coast of Zeebrugge in Belgium. These activities formed the initial phase of the Belwind project, which will eventually encompass a total of 110 wind turbines.
Once complete, the turbines will supply power to some 350,000 households, leading to a reduction of 540,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Belwind is being constructed in deep waters in an area where the sea has a depth of 15 to 37 metres, but the floating vessel Svanen can capably handle this challenge.
In terms of other activities, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding in early 2008, a contract has now been concluded with the German energy company EnBW for the installation of 22 offshore wind turbine foundations for the Baltic I project. The project is located in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Germany and Ballast Nedam will install the 22 foundations needed using the SeaWorker in the second quarter of 2010; the design was finalized during 2009.
Also during 2008, Svanen placed 25 offshore wind turbine foundations for the Rhyl Flats project in the UK and 32 foundations for the Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm in the UK.
R&D is extremely important to Ballast Nedam and the company is actively expanding its current position through innovations. A method has been developed for the offshore placement of the new generation of large offshore wind turbines in a single piece, which reduces the use of offshore personnel and equipment, therefore making offshore wind farm construction safe and more inexpensive.
A second innovation relates to the development of a new foundation concept; the foundations of most present day offshore wind farms consist of tubular piles, but Ballast Nedam has developed a drilling method for placing concrete monopile foundations with less noise and at lower costs. This is a concept that is being developed for a Swedish offshore wind farm and within the Carbon Trust offshore foundations acceleration competition.
All of Ballast Nedam’s operations owe thanks to the organisation’s 8700 tonne heavy lift vessel, the Svanen, which the business sees as the jewel in its crown. Being able to deploy special equipment in support of its projects is one of Ballast Nedam’s greatest strengths.
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The Svanen was designed to meet the company’s required specific heavy lift equipment, since part of its offshore working method is producing prefabricated elements on land and installing them at sea.
Existing floating sheerlegs were used for the Zeeland Bridge and the Ibis had to be developed for the King Fahd Causeway. This vessel lifted from its centre of gravity, which eliminated much movement of the hoisting load. Following on from this principle, Ballast Nedam designed and built the Svanen for the Storebaelt Bridge in Denmark. The vessel was then enlarged and its lifting capacity further increased to an impressive 8700 tonnes to meet the heavier demands for the Confederation Bridge.
Although originally designed for assembling prefabricated bridges, including the installation of concrete gravity based foundations, this self-propelled catamaran is equally at home positioning the huge submerged monopiles on which wind turbine towers stand. Its lifting capacity is more than sufficient for today's monopiles, which weigh up to 600 tonnes, and its immense dimensions guarantee a stable platform for offshore ramming work. The Svanen has even taken on the next generation of monopiles, which support five to seven MW turbines that weigh between 600 and 800 tonnes, and stand in up to 40 metres of water.
Commenting on this important asset, the organisation’s adept approach to design and innovative, and its strengths, Ballast Nedam’s director, Marcel van Bergen, says: “The Svanen is particularly well suited to serial production, such as large bridges, where the same structural element is used many times. The experience and knowledge that Ballast Nedam gained in sequential onshore production and offshore installation now allows us to provide cost effective solutions to the offshore wind market.
“Ballast Nedam Offshore is unique in the fact that it can provide its clients with a combination of in-house design and construction knowledge, while making use of our own specialised marine equipment. Further specialised knowledge that is required for pile driving and drilling is obtained from our sister companies within Ballast Nedam. These companies are involved in the project development, and operation and maintenance phase of offshore wind projects.
“Another field in which we excel is in creating a breeding ground for innovation. Challenges are countered with open-minded solutions that are led and developed by our enthusiastic and diverse team, together with our specialist sister companies and external consultants and suppliers, with whom we work closely.”
In light of the recent Baltic I contract, the successful installation of foundations for the UK wind farms and the expected growth of offshore wind energy in Europe, Ballast Nedam sees great potential for effective utilisation of the Svanen in the coming years in meeting its clients diverse needs.
Central to Ballast Nedam’s way of operating has always been its mix of design and construction services. All of its inventions can be feasibly built and the business has learnt to optimise the repetitive construction process in offshore construction. Marine structures, such as offshore wind farms, consist of just a few different elements that are installed in large numbers offshore. Therefore Ballast Nedam adopts an approach of focusing on detailed preparation, large onshore prefabricated elements and short offshore installation times. This strategy has enabled the company to limit offshore time and cost-related risks.
Ballast Nedam has enjoyed a busy 2009, adding numerous noteworthy projects to its references and reinforcing the business’ belief that there will be promising opportunities for further work in the offshore wind turbine market in 2010. In September of this year the company’s heavy lift vessel Svanen was commissioned by Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors to drive 56 steel piles for the foundations of the Belwind offshore wind farm off the coast of Zeebrugge in Belgium. These activities formed the initial phase of the Belwind project, which will eventually encompass a total of 110 wind turbines.
Once complete, the turbines will supply power to some 350,000 households, leading to a reduction of 540,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Belwind is being constructed in deep waters in an area where the sea has a depth of 15 to 37 metres, but the floating vessel Svanen can capably handle this challenge.
In terms of other activities, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding in early 2008, a contract has now been concluded with the German energy company EnBW for the installation of 22 offshore wind turbine foundations for the Baltic I project. The project is located in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Germany and Ballast Nedam will install the 22 foundations needed using the SeaWorker in the second quarter of 2010; the design was finalized during 2009.
Also during 2008, Svanen placed 25 offshore wind turbine foundations for the Rhyl Flats project in the UK and 32 foundations for the Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm in the UK.
R&D is extremely important to Ballast Nedam and the company is actively expanding its current position through innovations. A method has been developed for the offshore placement of the new generation of large offshore wind turbines in a single piece, which reduces the use of offshore personnel and equipment, therefore making offshore wind farm construction safe and more inexpensive.
A second innovation relates to the development of a new foundation concept; the foundations of most present day offshore wind farms consist of tubular piles, but Ballast Nedam has developed a drilling method for placing concrete monopile foundations with less noise and at lower costs. This is a concept that is being developed for a Swedish offshore wind farm and within the Carbon Trust offshore foundations acceleration competition.
All of Ballast Nedam’s operations owe thanks to the organisation’s 8700 tonne heavy lift vessel, the Svanen, which the business sees as the jewel in its crown. Being able to deploy special equipment in support of its projects is one of Ballast Nedam’s greatest strengths.
')";>The Svanen was designed to meet the company’s required specific heavy lift equipment, since part of its offshore working method is producing prefabricated elements on land and installing them at sea.
Existing floating sheerlegs were used for the Zeeland Bridge and the Ibis had to be developed for the King Fahd Causeway. This vessel lifted from its centre of gravity, which eliminated much movement of the hoisting load. Following on from this principle, Ballast Nedam designed and built the Svanen for the Storebaelt Bridge in Denmark. The vessel was then enlarged and its lifting capacity further increased to an impressive 8700 tonnes to meet the heavier demands for the Confederation Bridge.
Although originally designed for assembling prefabricated bridges, including the installation of concrete gravity based foundations, this self-propelled catamaran is equally at home positioning the huge submerged monopiles on which wind turbine towers stand. Its lifting capacity is more than sufficient for today's monopiles, which weigh up to 600 tonnes, and its immense dimensions guarantee a stable platform for offshore ramming work. The Svanen has even taken on the next generation of monopiles, which support five to seven MW turbines that weigh between 600 and 800 tonnes, and stand in up to 40 metres of water.
Commenting on this important asset, the organisation’s adept approach to design and innovative, and its strengths, Ballast Nedam’s director, Marcel van Bergen, says: “The Svanen is particularly well suited to serial production, such as large bridges, where the same structural element is used many times. The experience and knowledge that Ballast Nedam gained in sequential onshore production and offshore installation now allows us to provide cost effective solutions to the offshore wind market.
“Ballast Nedam Offshore is unique in the fact that it can provide its clients with a combination of in-house design and construction knowledge, while making use of our own specialised marine equipment. Further specialised knowledge that is required for pile driving and drilling is obtained from our sister companies within Ballast Nedam. These companies are involved in the project development, and operation and maintenance phase of offshore wind projects.
“Another field in which we excel is in creating a breeding ground for innovation. Challenges are countered with open-minded solutions that are led and developed by our enthusiastic and diverse team, together with our specialist sister companies and external consultants and suppliers, with whom we work closely.”
In light of the recent Baltic I contract, the successful installation of foundations for the UK wind farms and the expected growth of offshore wind energy in Europe, Ballast Nedam sees great potential for effective utilisation of the Svanen in the coming years in meeting its clients diverse needs.
