Sea Installer Arrives in Port Oostende
The A2Sea wind turbine installation vessel Sea Installer arrived at Port Oostende yesterday. Once it was moored at the head of the REBO offshore wind terminal, Siemens immediately started the loading procedure of 7MW wind turbines for the Rentel Offshore Windfarm.
Two wind turbines will be brought to the sea per sailing: two towers (87m), two nacelles (400t each) and six blades (75m). The towers are transported vertically; they are 87m high. The blades protrude 26m on starboard side and 13m on port side, which means the total width of the transport is 78m. A total of 42 turbines will be installed, which means that 21 trips will be made from Port Oostende to the Rentel windfarm and back. The average turnaround time of one trip will be about four days.
Construction of the Rentel windfarm started in Port Oostende mid-February after the first parts arrived at the REBO offshore wind terminal. On 23 March, the heaviest part of the Siemens 7MW turbine, the nacelle (20m long, 9m wide, 7m deep, 400t), was unloaded onto the quay by ro-ro. By now, the three different tower elements have been assembled to a total height of 87m.
The Sea Installer is already the seventh jack-up platform operating from the REBO offshore wind terminal. Each project requires a specific approach and adjustments to the existing infrastructure. The continuity of the various projects proves that Port Oostende is a flexible partner in the European offshore wind market.