Spanish developer Iberdrola has chosen Areva's M5000 5MW turbines for its 400MW Wikinger wind farm located 45km off the German coast, in the Baltic Sea.
The agreement follows "a highly competitive tendering process with several different offshore technologies proposed", said Areva. This is the first such deal between the two companies since the Areva-Iberdrola consortium was selected for the 500MW Saint-Brieuc project off Brittany, in France's first offshore tender.
Areva said Iberdrola's decision to use its turbines at Wikinger "demonstrates its recognition of the experience Areva has acquired over the past years in the field of offshore wind". A new version of the M5000 turbine was produced late last year featuring a 135m rotor, 19m larger than the previous version. Areva also said the turbine's nacelle had been revamped to be lighter and easier to access.
Turbine installation at Wikinger will take place in 2016-17, Areva said in a statement. Iberdrola's original construction permit for Wikinger specifies that work related to turbine installation must start before the end of 2015, with availability of either foundations or turbines to be demonstrated by August 2013. Under a permit update dated 24 May 2012, building work for installation must begin by 30 June 2015,
and turbine availability be demonstrated by 30 June 2014.
Under current plans by transmission system operator 50Hertz, Wikinger will be connected to shore at Lubmin, at a point lying east of the landing point of the Baltic Sea gas pipeline Nordstream. An alternating cable link will be shared with the Arkona-Becken Suedost (ABS) project.
