A wind turbine installation vessel taller than the Eiffel Tower is currently en route from Jiangsu in China to the North Sea, where it will aid in delivering renewable energy to millions of households.
The Voltaire sailed from Qidong in Jiangsu Province’s Nantong City to Dogger Bank in the North Sea, where the offshore wind farm is being built. Jan De Nul, a Belgian contractor, will assist in the construction of the 3.6GW Dogger Bank.
The Voltaire will be the company’s second and largest jack-up vessel capable of supporting the renewable energy industry. The Voltaire is outfitted with a 3,000-ton main crane and four 130-meter-long giant legs that can support the vessel to create stable operating conditions at water depths of up to 80 meters with an increased load of 16,000 tons.
Jan De Nul will be able to reach deeper waters as a result of this. Voltaire and Les Alizés have all the criteria required to meet the needs of offshore renewables today.
The company received its first assignment in 2020, a year after placing the order. Its mission is to lead offshore wind farm construction in the UK.
The enormous ship will also transport and install a total of 277 GE Haliade-X turbines up to 14MW. As a result, enough energy will be generated each year to power up to six million homes.
“This impressive installation vessel will play a critical role in the construction of all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm when it enters service, demonstrating an innovative engineering solution to the growing challenge presented by larger and more technically demanding wind farms,” said Dogger Pank Project Director, Steve Wilson, according to Interesting Engineering.
Jan De Nul is so committed to improving the environment that it outfitted the Voltaire with a cutting-edge dual exhaust filter system that removes up to 99 percent of nanoparticles from emissions using a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). At the same time, a selective Catalytic Reduction System (SCR) will reduce NOx emissions and other pollutants to levels that meet the EU Stave V standard.
The United Kingdom and Belgium have partnered with wind energy to increase their renewable energy portfolios. This follows the country’s government’s vow to reach its decarbonization target by 2020.
The Dogger Bank project is projected to benefit the local community significantly. This will attract significant investments. It will also be able to employ its citizens.
Evidently, countries are becoming more interested in renewable energy. It signifies that many wind farms will be constructed in the future. Moreover, since offshore wind energy is expected to have lower operating costs than conventional energy sources, it is widening its operations.