Second HKZ Offshore Wind Substation Sets Sail from Dubai
The second High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) offshore transformer station topside, delivered by Petrofac and Drydocks World Dubai for the Dutch-German transmission grid operator TenneT, has set sail from the fabrication facility in the UAE, Petrofac said Monday.
The 700 MW Beta topside weighs 3,950-tonne. It is being shipped to the Dutch North Sea aboard Boskalis' Mighty Servant 3 heavy lift and transportation vessel. The topside will form part of the Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) grid connection that connects the offshore wind farm zone to the Dutch mainland at the Maasvlakte.
Heavy lift and transport specialist Mammoet was commissioned to perform the weighing, transport and load-out.
Located 20 kilometers off the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland, the Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) wind farm zone occupies an area of 235.8 km2 and runs on a 1,400 MW of renewable energy. When fully operational in 2023, the wind farm zone will produce enough renewable energy to meet annual needs of more than two million households. Petrofac is responsible for the complete engineering, procurement, construction, and offshore installation of HKZ Alpha and HKZ Beta platforms.
Elie Lahoud, Chief Operating Officer E&C, Petrofac said: “We are proud and happy to have reached such a significant milestone on this important project, working with our partners to help our client TenneT and the Dutch government increase wind energy production capacity offshore of the Netherlands. We look forward to our installation of the second topside, together with the final completion and commissioning work, and scheduled handover of the project later this year.”
Marco Kuijpers, Director of Large Projects Offshore for grid operator TenneT: "With the completion of the Beta topside, the offshore grid that TenneT is building in the North Sea is starting to take shape. Hollandse Kust Zuid is the first connection of an offshore wind farm to the Maasvlakte. Wind energy plays a crucial role in the energy transition, also in industry, and I am proud that TenneT – together with Petrofac and Drydocks World – can contribute to a sustainable future in this way."
Capt. Rado Antolovic PhD CEO of Drydocks World said: “Drydocks World has continued to play an integral role in positioning Dubai as a leading hub for manufacturing and fabrication with an ability to offer best in class maritime solutions. Working closely with our partners, we welcome a new era of industrial innovation and remain committed to employing our technical and operational expertise to work on projects such as the Hollandse Kust Zuid. We are proud of our team’s unwavering commitment to complete this project on schedule. Although the COVID-19 pandemic impacted during construction, we were able to meet our goal of completing and handing over the HKZ Beta topside in early 2022. Creating a better, greener future is very important to us, and we are committed to making renewable energy more accessible.”