Giant high-voltage station for offshore wind farm arrives in port of Oostende
Thursday 29 August, just in front of the Port of Oostende, a huge installation was erected and appeared on the horizon. It was the high-voltage station for the Northwester 2 wind farm, which is currently being installed from the REBO terminal in the Port of Oostende.
The Offshore High Voltage Station (OHVS) is coming from the manufacturer Bladt Industries in Aalborg (Denmark) on the Bokabarge 8 pontoon, towed by the tugboat Seraya to Port Oostende. The Bokabarge is mooring at quay 501 and will be waiting there until the preparation works at sea have been completed. Ship's agent Lalement will make all arrangements necessary for the arrival.
First, the installation vessel of Jan De Nul Group, Vole au vent, has to install the monopile and the intermediate section of the OHVS station at sea. This will happen in the near future. After that, the high-voltage station will be placed on the transition piece at sea.
Northwester 2
The Northwester 2 wind farm is the 7th of the 9 wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea and is located 50 km off the coast of Oostende. Northwester 2 will have 23 9.5 MW MHI Vestas wind turbines producing 219 MW of green electricity. Completion is planned for 2020.
Northwester 2 is a project company holding a 219 MW concession in the Belgian territorial waters. Current shareholders are Parkwind (70 %) and the Japanese industrial group Sumitomo Corporation (30 %). Parkwind, a leading 360° offshore wind company, has been in charge of the development and will manage construction and operational activities. The company is headquartered in Leuven (Belgium) and will operate from the port of Oostende.
Port of Ostend
‘The development and maintenance of offshore wind farms is currently the most important part of the Blue Economy. Ostend presents itself as the offshore wind hub for the southern part of the North Sea. It is our goal to excel in Blue Growth by offering specific port facilities, efficient infrastructure, research and innovation collaborations into an extensive national and international network', explains Dirk Declerck, CEO of the Port of Oostende.
The Port of Oostende focuses on continuity, growth and employment based on five pillars: Blue Economy, Bulk & Project Cargo, Cruises & Ferry, Circular Industry and the Fishing Industry. These sectors will be further developed with two principles in mind: prioritizing safety, health and the environment and, secondly, supporting innovation and development.