Albatros

Location

The Albatros offshore wind farm is located in the German North Sea, approximately 95 kilometres north of Borkum island and 105 kilometres from the coast.

Ownership

The Albatros wind farm is jointly owned by:

• German utility EnBW (50.1%)
• Canadian energy infrastructure company Enbridge (25.4%)
• Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Investments (24.5%).

Capacity and Output

The Albatros wind farm has a capacity of 112 megawatts (MW), which is part of a larger project that includes the Hohe See wind farm. Together, they have a combined installed capacity of 609 MW. The Albatros wind farm specifically consists of 16 Siemens Gamesa SWT-7.0-154 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 7 MW.

Turbine Details

• Turbine Model: Siemens Gamesa SWT-7.0-154
• Hub Height: 105 metres
• Rotor Diameter: 154 metres
• Blade Length: 75 metres
• Swept Area: 18,600 square metres
• Technology: Direct-drive technology with a permanent magnet generator
• Design Features: Robust and proven IntegralBlades® technology and reliable safety systems. The turbines are programmed to automatically shut down if wind speeds exceed 10.1 metres per second to improve grid stability.

Foundations and Installation

• Foundation Type: Monopile foundations
• Installation Vessels: Offshore installation vessels such as Innovation, Sea Installer, Brave Tern, and Blue Tern were used for the installation of the turbine foundations.
• Contractors Involved: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy was the main contractor. GeoSea, a subsidiary of DEME Group, was responsible for the fabrication and installation of turbine foundations. A joint venture of Sif Group and Smulders constructed the monopiles and transition pieces.

Transmission and Grid Connection

The Albatros wind farm is connected to the grid through the Borwin Beta HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) converter platform, located 25 kilometres away from the project site. The offshore transformer module (OTM) used has a transmission capacity of 116 MW and features an ultra-compact design to reduce installation, service, and maintenance costs.

Environmental Impact and Energy Production

• Annual Energy Production: The combined Hohe See and Albatros wind farms generate approximately 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
• Household Supply: This energy is enough to supply the power needs of around 710,000 households.
• CO₂ Savings: The wind farms save approximately 1.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

Construction Timeline

• Construction Start: 2018
• Installation Completion: The last turbine was installed in September 2019.
• Grid Connection: The Albatros wind farm was connected to the grid in January 2020.

Other Details

• Water Depth: The wind farm is located in water depths of up to 40 metres.
• Wind Speed: The location has wind speeds of up to 10.1 metres per second.
• Area: The Albatros wind farm covers an area of approximately 11 square kilometres.