Turbine Installation Completed at Gemini Offshore Wind Park
On Tuesday, 23 August, the last of Gemini’s 150 turbines was installed. With this milestone, the offshore wind park is one step closer to delivering sustainable energy to 1.5 million people in the Netherlands. Starting in February, installation ships Aeolus (owned by Van Oord) and Pacific Osprey (owned by Swire Blue Ocean) installed all 150 4.0 MW Siemens-built wind turbines in the North Sea. Over the next several months, all turbines will be connected and thoroughly tested. The offshore wind park will be fully operational mid-2017.
“The installation of the 150th and final turbine in the wind park is a magnificent achievement,” Matthias Haag CEO of Gemini says. “After the successful installation of the foundations, the offshore high-voltage stations and 210km of export cables by Van Oord went according to plan, as did the turbine installation. We are proud of everyone who contributed to the safe construction of Gemini.”
Once operational, Gemini will generate 600 MW, meeting the annual energy needs of one-and-a-half million people and reducing the annual CO₂ emissions of the Netherlands by 1.25 million tons. Gemini will therefore play an important role in achieving the sustainable energy goals of not only the Netherlands, but also the whole European Union.
Majority shareholder and project partner Northland Power: “Today’s announcement represents another momentous achievement in this project.” John Brace, CEO of Northland Power, notes, “We are very proud of the project team for their great work. It is meaningful to all of us to see all 150 wind turbines standing, and to know that Gemini is one step closer to helping the Netherlands in its transition to a more sustainable future.”
Gemini is one of the largest wind parks in the world, in size as well as production. It will produce enough sustainable power to meet the energy needs of Amsterdam and Rotterdam combined. The wind park is located in the North Sea, 85km off the coast of Groningen, in an area where wind speeds are among the highest and most constant in the world.
Four project partners have joined forces to make Gemini a reality: Canadian independent sustainable energy company Northland Power (60% project interest), wind turbine manufacturer Siemens Wind Power (20%), Dutch marine contractor Van Oord (10%) and renewable energy, waste and raw materials company HVC (10%).