According to the company, four 240t tubular steel towers, together with the associated hubs and nacelles, have been loaded onto the installation vessel ‘Victoria Mathias’ that will transport them for installation at sea shortly.
The sister vessel Friedrich Ernestine will install the 144 rotor blades, each of which is 60m long and weighs some 60 tonnes.
RWE Innogy Bremerhaven Port logistics manager Marcus Dengler said, "Loading of the first major components went very smoothly."
"The team worked together hand-in-hand and load all of the over 30 meters high tower sections, together with the associated hubs and nacelles, aboard the ship using the vessel’s own crane," Dengler added.
"Last night our installation vessel left the base port and made its way to the construction site 35 kilometres to the north of the island of Heligoland, where installation will commence immediately."
RWE Innogy claims that the nacelles alone weigh-in at approximately 350t and have an equivalent in size to a detached single-family home, while the 70m tower comprises two individual sections.
The internal cabling work for the wind farm is underway and the installation of the transformer substation is likely to begin at sea.
All of the wind turbines, which would generate enough electricity to power around 300,000 households annually, would be connected to the grid by spring 2015.
Image: Loading of 240t tubular steel towers onto the vessel in the German North Sea. Photo: Courtesy of RWE Innogy.
