Gallery: Dong's XL offshore foundations

GERMANY: Dong Energy is in the process of building the huge monopile foundations to be used at the Gode Wind 1 and 2 projects in the North Sea.

by David Weston 18 July 2014

  • Dong's 940-tonne monopiles for Gode Wind 1 and 2 are being built in Rostock, Germany

    Dong's 940-tonne monopiles for Gode Wind 1 and 2 are being built in Rostock, Germany

  • The monopiles are 66.5 metres long with a diametre of 7.5 metres

    The monopiles are 66.5 metres long with a diametre of 7.5 metres

  • The foundations are due to be installed in 2015

    The foundations are due to be installed in 2015

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The foundations will be used to support the 97 Siemens 6MW turbines, which will be installed at the projects' sites from next year. Dong said the foundations will be rammed into the seabed.

Each XL monopile will weigh a mammoth 940 tonnes and be 66.5 metres long with a diametre of 7.5-metres.

They are being manufactured by German engineering firm EEW at its facility in Rostock, north Germany.

Gode Wind 1 will have a capacity of 330MW, while Gode Wind 2 will be 252MW. They are set to be commissioned in 2016.

Yesterday, the Danish developer announced a plan to sell half its stake in Gode Wind 2 to a consortium of Danish pension funds for EUR 600 million.