Vattenfall has selected the Port of Hvide Sande on the west coast of Denmark as the operation and maintenance (O&M) hub for the 406MW Horns Rev 3 offshore wind farm.
Turbine servicing and O&M work from Hvide Sande will begin when the warranty period ends with MHI Vestas in 2024 for the plant’s 49 8.3MW turbines, located 25-40km off the Danish coast in the North Sea.
Until then investigations will be conducted on what exact facilities will be needed at the port, Vattenfall said.
Vattenfall operations and maintenance director Erik Hiensch said: “We expect to employ 25-30 full-time staff working out of Hvide Sande and establish a Vattenfall facility at the port.
“On top of this, we and our partners will need local suppliers. We will be looking for a range of services from engineering support of our equipment and vessels to cleaning and building maintenance.”
Horns Rev 3 will be Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm.
Vattenfall offshore wind head Michael Simmelsgaard said: “This is a testimony to the local benefits of offshore wind and the engagement in the sector of the Port of Hvide Sande.”
Esbjerg is the installation and pre-assembly port for Horns Rev 3.
New capacity, including from Horns Rev 3, has helped boost the Swedish energy company’s wind business operating profit to Skr1851m in the first half of 2019, up from Skr1638m in the same period of 2018.