Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel Aeolus has completed the installation of 77 foundations for the Borssele III and IV wind farm. For the last six months, the Aeolus has been deployed for the transport and installation of the foundations.
Van Oord’s cable-laying vessel Nexus has also installed four out of the twelve cable strings. The project will shortly start with the installation of the 9.5 megawatts (MW) wind turbines supplied by MHI Vestas. As the Balance of Plant contractor, Van Oord is responsible for the design, engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the foundations and inter array cables.
‘The work was executed within planning in six months,’ says Roeland Borsboom, Project Director Blauwwind. ‘Despite the extra precautions in connection with coronavirus, we were able to continue the project, taking necessary measures and complying with governmental guidelines.’
Energy transition
The Borssele III and IV wind farm is being built 22 kilometres off the coast of the Province of Zeeland and will be one of the largest offshore Dutch wind farms. The Borssele III and IV wind farm will have a total installed capacity of 731.5 MW, providing sufficient power for approximately 825,000 Dutch households. The wind farm is part of the offshore wind roadmap drawn up by the Dutch government. The roadmap details the areas designated in the North Sea where offshore wind farms can be built.