RWE Innogy, Stadtwerke München and Siemens build offshore wind farm Gwynt y Môr, RWE AG
Release Date: 2010-06-04
RWE Innogy, Stadtwerke München (SWM - Munich Municipal Utility) and Siemens have entered into a joint venture to build the offshore wind farm Gwynt y Môr (Welsh for “wind in the sea”). RWE Innogy will hold a 60% stake in this joint venture, Stadtwerke München 30% and Siemens 10%. The total investment amounts to more than two billion Euros, including the grid connection to the coast. The investment will be divided between the partners accordingly. Gwynt y Môr is to be built with an installed capacity of 576 megawatts in Liverpool Bay, around 18 kilometres off the North Wales coast. Work will start towards the end of 2011 to erect the first foundations for a total of 160 wind turbines. All permits for the wind farm covering an area of 79 square kilometres have already been obtained. Siemens will supply, install and maintain the wind turbines, and provide the connection to the grid.The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne said: “This is the first, of what I hope will be many, examples of how we can make the most of our island’s huge renewable energy potential. I want to make sure we grab all the opportunities the rapidly expanding renewables industry has to offer, and that wind power can come of age under this government.”
Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt, CEO of RWE Innogy, explains: “In 2008 we started making RWE greener. With an output of almost 580 MW and an annual saving in CO2 (1) production of around 1.7 million tonnes, Gwynt y Môr will contribute significantly to this. This is the fifth offshore wind farm which RWE is not only developing but also building – a balance to be proud of”. Hans Bünting, CFO of RWE Innogy, adds: “RWE Innogy is very open to partnerships for implementing projects in the area of renewables. Green Gecco, our joint venture with 26 municipal utilities is just one example. We are proud that for Gwynt y Môr we have again succeeded in finding strong partners in SWM and Siemens, with whom we have had good business relationships for many years. We are already looking forward to our continued work together”.
For this project Siemens Energy will receive the contract not only for supply, erection and maintenance of the wind turbines, but also for electrical connection of the Gwynt y Môr wind farm to the mainland. The value of the contract for Siemens is around 1.2 billion Euros. “Offshore wind power represents an enormous growth market. Siemens made an early commitment to this sector and can therefore look back on many years of experience. We are pleased that our proven wind power plants will also be used in this major project. Our co-operation with RWE in building as many as three offshore wind farms in Great Britain is a clear signal that both companies are driving forward the expansion of wind energy in the sea,” says Wolfgang Dehen, CEO of the Siemens Energy Sector and member of the Executive Board of Siemens AG.
Siemens will supply and erect 160 wind power installations each with a capacity of 3.6 megawatts for the Gwynt y Môr project. Siemens will also be responsible for connecting the wind turbines to the grid, which entails the delivery of two turnkey offshore transformer platforms. Using high-voltage sea cables, power will be transmitted to the Welsh town of St. Asaph, from where inland distribution will take place. Siemens will also be responsible for maintenance of the wind farm for five years, with the option of an extension for a further seven years.
To build Gwynt y Môr, RWE Innogy has arranged for another offshore construction ship to be built by the Korean shipyard Daewoo. The first of these offshore construction ships, the largest in the world, was ordered by the company at the end of last year for the erection of the German offshore wind farm Nordsee Ost (North Sea East). The order value for each ship is around 100 million Euros. The new construction ship is expected at the end of 2011. The foundations and wind turbines are to be pre-assembled there and then transported out to sea.
| Type: | NORMAL |
| Company: | RWE AG |
| Country: | 德国 |