La orden comprende el diseño, la entrega, instalación, pruebas y puesta en marcha de los 55 aerogeneradores, así como un periodo de cinco años de servicio y garantía.
El contratista holandés Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors bv será responsable de la ingeniería, las adquisiciones y la construcción.
"Estamos orgullosos de ser el suministro de turbinas para el parque eólico marino Bligh Bank.
La entrega e instalación de las turbinas, incluida la plena producción de energía, se espera que tenga lugar durante 2010 mientras que la completa finalización de los parques eólicos en alta mar se espera para principios de 2011.
Frank Coenen de Belwind NV dice: "Este parque eólico de 165 MW es la primera fase de los 330 MW del proyecto Belwind. Esperamos con interés trabajar junto con Vestas y Van Oord en la construcción del proyecto que es un gran paso adelante en la realización de los objetivos belgas de energías renovables. Estamos orgullosos de nuestros inversionistas y bancos, que nos permitió realizar esta importante inversión financiera en un contexto muy difícil en ocasiones".
El proyecto está financiado debido a las garantías proporcionadas por Eksport Kredit Fonden (EKF), la Agencia danesa de crédito a la exportación y el financiamiento proporcionado por el Banco Europeo de Inversiones (BEI). Además, un conjunto estructurado de créditos ha sido proporcionada por el Banco ASN, Dexia Bank Belgium, Dexia Crédit Local y Rabobank International.
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Vestas receives 165 MW offshore order in Belgium
Vestas has received an order for an offshore wind power plant with a total capacity of 165 MW. The wind power plant, Bligh Bank Offshore Wind Farm, consists of 55 units of the V90-3.0 MW wind turbine and will be located 46 km off the coast of Zeebrugge, situated in the zone dedicated by the Belgian Government for the construction of wind farms.
The order has been placed by Belwind N.V. owned by a consortium of Belgian and Dutch investors. The order comprises design, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of the 55 wind turbines as well as a five-year service and availability agreement. Dutch contractor Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors bv are responsible for engineering, procurement and construction.
“We are proud to be supplying turbines for the Bligh Bank Offshore Wind Farm.
Furthermore, we are very pleased to see this group of investors showing their confidence in the potential of offshore wind and we look forward to securing them a successful implementation of the project,” states Anders Søe-Jensen, President of Vestas Offshore, and he continues to elaborate on Vestas’ determination to remain strong in offshore wind: “Vestas is a leading, global player in the wind market and we have been driving the offshore wind industry from the very beginning. Being in the offshore market requires some very specific knowledge and skills – both of which Vestas possesses – and the Bligh Bank Offshore Wind Farm order truly shows Vestas’ dedication and commitment to remain strongly focused on this market.”
Delivery and installation of the turbines, including full power production is expected to take place during 2010 whereas final completion of the offshore wind farm is expected in early 2011.
Frank Coenen of Belwind N.V. states: “This 165 MW wind farm is the first phase of the 330 MW Belwind project. We look forward to working together with Vestas and Van Oord on the construction of the project which is a major step forward in realising the Belgian renewable energy targets. We are proud of our investors and banks, who enabled us to realise this investment in difficult financial times.”
The project is financed on a non-recourse basis. This is the first offshore transaction to be project financed since the financial crisis started. This was made possible due to credit risk guarantees provided by Eksport Kredit Fonden (EKF), the Danish Export Credit Agency and financing provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB). Furthermore, a package of structured credit facilities has been provided by ASN Bank, Dexia Bank Belgium, Dexia Crédit Local and Rabobank International.
The above order does not affect Vestas’ expectations for 2009 cf.
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Van Oord to build wind farm off Belgium
Van Oord has been awarded the contract for the engineering, procurement and construction of the first part of the Belwind offshore wind farm project.
The wind farm will be constructed on the Blight Bank, 46 km off the coast of Zeebrugge, Belgium. The developer and client is Belwind nv and a number of Dutch and Belgian investment companies are shareholders in Belwind. The contract value amounts to some €280m and is Van Oord’s largest award this year. Execution has already started and the project is scheduled for completion in November 2010.
Pieter van Oord, CEO of Van Oord said, ‘Since 2002 Van Oord has been involved in building offshore wind farms in North West Europe. This is Van Oord’s second EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract. Earlier we completed the Princess Amalia wind farm project off the coast of Ijmuiden in the Netherlands. Our knowledge and experience is concentrated in our business unit Offshore Wind Projects (OWP). The award of the Belwind project confirms our leading role as EPC contractor in North West Europe’.
The scope of works involve the construction of the foundation for 55 wind turbines, the installation of subsea cables between the wind turbines and a subsea export cable, a 165 MW offshore high voltage station and the subsequent placement of the 55 turbines. As of 2011 the first phase of the Belwind project will provide 165,000 families with environmentally friendly power.
www.vestas.com/files//Filer/EN/Investor/Company_announcements/2009/090730-CA_UK-15.pdf
