German wind farm project Merkur Offshore has signed a contract with French multinational Alstom for supply of 66 wind turbines for the 400MW facility near the island of Borkum in the North Sea.
Additionally, a Balance of Plant contract has also been signed with Belgian marine engineering Deme group under which the firm will be responsible for the installation of the turbines at the facility.
The facility is planned to be built 45km to the north of the German island. It will be equipped with 66 Alstom’s Haliade 150-6MW turbines.
Alstom is also expected to offer service and maintenance for the facility under a separate contract signed with Merkur Offshore, the operator for the facility.
Construction of the wind farm has been scheduled to start from 2016, which will be undertaken by GeoSea, a unit under the DEME Group.
Alstom Renewable Power president Jérôme Pécresse said: "This is the largest offshore wind contract signed by Alstom outside France on a major and significant market, coming after the winning of the construction of the first offshore wind farm in the US.
"The Merkur Offshore contract is also the first offshore wind project led by Alstom in Germany, which is particularly important for our further business development in Germany and Northern Europe."
DEME Group director and chief executive officer Alain Bernard said: "Combining favourable sea bed conditions with one of the strongest and most reliable wind resources in the world, Merkur Offshore will be one of Germany’s largest wind farms in the North Sea, contributing significantly to Germany’s energy transition plans and the European clean energy targets."
Alstom will manufacture turbines at its new facilities in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Image: the facility will be equipped with 66 of Alstom’s Haliade 150-6MW turbines. Photo: courtesy of DEME.
