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New offshore wind hub at Rotterdam

By: Tom Duit 13/11/2015 Port of Rotterdam

General Windfarms

Up to now, the port of Rotterdam, the largest seaport in Europe, has played a negligible role in the construction of offshore wind farms in Europe. But that is about to change. On Maasvlakte 2, Sif Group and Verbrugge International are building a dedicated offshore terminal and a production site for monopiles under the name Offshore Terminal Rotterdam. A unique combination that will play an important role in the construction of offshore wind farms in the North Sea and elsewhere.

Joost Eenhuizen, business manager Offshore at the Port of Rotterdam Authority said:
“With a further increase in scale, not only in wind turbines and parts, but also in the necessary equipment, such as larger ships, greater draught and heavier cargoes, ports must be able to keep up with this growth. Rotterdam is able to do this and is well positioned in relation to large sections of the as yet undeveloped offshore wind areas.”

The arrival of Sif means that the market leader in foundations for offshore wind in the North Sea will be coming to Rotterdam. The company has 65 years of experience in the production of steel tubes. Initially, Sif began by producing pressure vessels for the process industry, but since the 1980s the company has been active as a supplier for the offshore industry.

Diederik de Bruin, project manager at Sif commented:
“For years now, we have been the market leader in the production of jackets and the foundation piles for offshore structures. In the 1990s, we were one of the first players in the market to start with foundation piles for offshore wind turbines. Since then, we have manufactured more than 1200 monopiles for offshore wind turbines. By setting up business in Rotterdam, we can serve the offshore wind market even better.”

Verbrugge is also a well-known player in the sector, with terminals in Vlissingen, Terneuzen and Zeebrugge. In 2009, the stevedore became involved, from the terminal in Vlissingen, with the logistics of what was at the time the largest offshore wind farm, Greater Gabbard, off the coast of Felixstowe, the first in a series of projects.

Rob Quartel, commercial director at Verbrugge International stated:
“Together with Sif, we are now taking a further step towards professionalising and optimising site logistics for the offshore wind sector. This partnership forms an excellent basis for making investments which lead to further cost optimisation, which is one of the main drivers for the further development of this industry. The ideal location, the collaboration with Sif Group, the available infrastructure and equipment in Rotterdam and Verbrugge’s track record in this industry ensure that Rotterdam and the Offshore Terminal Rotterdam will be playing at Champions League level in offshore wind when the new terminal opens in 2016."

Up to now, Rotterdam has not been known as a port for the offshore wind industry, but with the completion of Maasvlakte 2, the 1,000-hectare addition to the port of Rotterdam, new sites on deep water have become available in Rotterdam. The Port of Rotterdam Authority’s original plans did not make provisions for the offshore industry too, but the port sees the construction of offshore wind farms as a growth market and, in time, their dismantling too.

Joost Eenhuizen added:
“This sector is perfectly in keeping with the objectives of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. The market for wind power is one with a high level of Dutch know-how in monopile production, installation and maintenance. Wind power also plays an important role in the transition to sustainable power, something the port of Rotterdam strongly supports. And the sector leads to both growth in employment and the further development of knowledge.”

On Maasvlakte 2, Sif and Verbrugge will create a production site where monopiles can be manufactured with a diameter of 11 metres and more. This is in response to the trend towards foundation piles with increasingly large diameters for the offshore wind sector.

Diederik de Bruin, project manager at Sif also added:
“In Europe, sustainably generated power needs to increase its share substantially during the coming years. In Northern Europe, wind power has been designated as the main source of this power. The North Sea offers very favourable conditions for offshore wind, with a relatively large number of windy days well distributed throughout the year, good conditions for laying foundations and consumers for the generated wind power close by. We can therefore expect to see sharp growth in the wind industry in the North Sea during the coming years. The terminal is directly on the North Sea, both literally and figuratively. With a guaranteed water depth of 14.5 m at all times, the largest crane vessels currently operating can moor here. In addition, the Port of Rotterdam Authority will be improving the ground for the quay so that all current jack-ups will be able to stand 8 metres from the quay. With the increased weight of the piles for the offshore wind industry, this is a great competitive advantage for the port of Rotterdam. In this way, we can serve our clients optimally whilst optimising the logistic costs.”

In the summer of 2015, the Port Authority began construction work on the quay and the first pile for the production facility was driven at the end of October. In the second half of 2016, Sif expects to start producing piles, transition pieces and other products and, if all goes according to plan, the Offshore Terminal Rotterdam will be fully operational at the end of 2017.

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New offshore wind hub at Rotterdam

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