10 Sustaining Growth

Stepping up wind power

K e p p e l Ve r o l m e h a s successfully completed and installed a floating, self-erecting substation platform for Global Tech 1, an offshore wind park in the German Exclusive Economic Zone in the North Sea on 13 May 2013. Installed at a water depth of 40 meters, the substation platform will collect and step up the electricity generated by the offshore wind parks 80 wind generating turbines, each with a capacity of 5 MW, to feed into Germanys national power grid. It is also equipped with critical control systems to serve as a backup power supply for the wind farm in case of emergencies and provides permanent accommodation for up to 32 people. This substation platform contains transformers and high voltage switchgear integrated onto a Mobile Offshore Application Barge (MOAB), a specialised barge designed and developed by Overdick GmbH & Co. Keppel Verolme carried out the detailed engineering and construction of the MOAB at its yard in Rotterdam while its consortium partner, Alstom Grid GmbH (Alstom), supplied and installed the medium and high voltage equipment, power transformers as well as the protection and control systems. Mr Harold Linssen, MD of Keppel Verolme said, This is the second MOAB which we have delivered but our rst where it has been equipped to be a transformer substation. It is a demonstration of an innovative and customised solution which combines proven state-of-the-art technologies from the oil & gas industry with the energy transmission business. This delivery highlights our capabilities to offer pioneering solutions for the emerging European offshore wind energy sector and also provide value-added services such as in the installation of the platform. Backed by Keppel O&Ms synergy of 20 yards worldwide and its strength in technology and project execution, we are well-positioned to support the growth of the offshore wind energy market. Instead of the traditional pile-driving technology used to install offshore substations which can impact marine life, mammoth steel suction cans were used to x the self-erecting platform into the seabed. This method also reduces noise pollution. The platform can be completely and safely removed after its lifetime-cycle through a reverse procedure. By serving both energy transmission and wind farm maintenance functions, the offshore substation platform helps to enhance the operational reliability and efciency of Global Tech I, contributing overall to a sustainable environment. The platform is the centrepiece of the Global Tech 1 North Sea wind park where the electricity generated by its 80 wind turbines is merged and the voltage transformed from 33 to 155 kilovolts. Currently still under construction, Global Tech I is located approximately 100 km from the Dutch shore. When fully operational, this wind park will be capable of generating some 1.4 billion kilowatthours (kWh) of electrical energy annually, supplying 445,000 households with clean energy. keppelite

The offshore substation was completed at Keppel Verolme in Rotterdam before being transported to the Global Tech I wind farm in Germany for installation

Keppelite I May 2013