Wind Energy

GE installs 1st offshore wind turbine at Merkur Windfarm

GE Renewable Energy announces today the installation of the first GE HaliadeTM 150-6MW offshore wind turbine at the 396MW Merkur Offshore Windfarm in Germany, located approximately 35km north of the island of Borkum, in the North Sea. Installation vessel SeaFox 5 sailed from Merkur’s logistic hub in Eemshaven (Netherlands) carrying blades, towers, nacelles and other components needed to start the installation of the first set of wind turbines at sea.

Installation of the 66 GE HaliadeTM 150-6MW wind turbines is expected to finish around September 2018, while commissioning activities will continue until end of the year. In the meantime, remaining nacelles, blades and tower pieces will be shipped to Eemshaven logistic hub until mid-summer 2018, where local teams will perform pre-assembly works.

John Lavelle, VP & CEO of GE’s Renewable Energy Offshore Wind business, said “this is a very important milestone for us. Only a year and a half ago we were supporting the installation of the first offshore wind project in US (Block Island), and in a year we have completed installation in China and started installation of one of the largest offshore windfarms in Germany, making us the only offshore wind turbine supplier to have projects in Europe, Asia and the Americas.”

GE Renewable Energy was selected in June 2015 by Merkur Offshore Company to deliver 66 GE HaliadeTM 150-6MW offshore wind turbines to what will become one of Germany’s largest offshore windfarms, capable to generate approximately 1,750 MWh annually, enough clean energy to power around 500,000 homes in the region. A 10-year Operation & Maintenance service is also included as part of the contract.

The offshore wind turbines have three main components – nacelles, towers, and blades- that are manufactured in different locations and shipped to Eemshaven, where they are prepared for installation at sea. Nacelles are produced in Saint-Nazaire (France), blades are made in Castellon (Spain) by LM Wind Power, and towers are manufactured in Germany and China.

About the Merkur Windfarm:

  • Maximum output: 396 MW
  • Turbines: 66 x Haliade™ 150-6MW
  • Expected completion: end of 2018
  • Location: North of Borkum Island (Germany)
  • Distance from coast: 35 km
  • Service contract: 10-year full scope service contract
  • Expected local homes powered: 500,000
  • Pre-assembly & Commissioning harbor: Eemshaven (Netherlands)
  • Ownership: Merkur Windfarm GmbH

 

GE Renewable Energy is a 10-billion-dollar start-up that brings together one of the broadest product and service portfolios of the renewable energy industry. Combining onshore and offshore wind, hydro and innovative technologies such as concentrated solar power, GE Renewable Energy has installed more than 400+ gigawatts capacity globally to make the world work better and cleaner. With more than 12,000 employees present in more than 55 countries, GE Renewable Energy is backed by the resources of the world’s first digital industrial company. Our goal is to demonstrate to the rest of the world that nobody should ever have to choose between affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy.