The Alpha Ventus offshore wind test field off Germany is to be decommissioned using environmentally friendly processes and techniques.
The wind farm is located in the German Bight, around 45 kilometres off the island of Borkum, and is operated by a consortium of EWE, RWE and Vattenfall.
“Offshore wind energy is now an established technology and an important pillar of energy supply in Germany – not least thanks to the alpha ventus test field.
“But research continues to be a high priority,” said Bernhard Lange from the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES).
The RAVE (Research at alpha ventus) research initiative will focus on questions relating to the economic and environmentally friendly dismantling of offshore wind farms.
A concept for the environmentally friendly dismantling of the 12 wind turbines and the park’s internal substation is currently being drawn up in close coordination with the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency.
In addition to the protection of the marine environment, the recycling of the components is to be given high priority.
“alpha ventus will reach the end of its planned operating life in just over four years. That’s why we are faced with the challenge of examining how to proceed,” said Eric Richter, Managing Director of alpha ventus Betriebsgesellschaft DOTI.
“We looked at a wide variety of options – including, of course, repowering.
“However, due to the size and weight of today’s turbine models, the foundations would also have had to be replaced, which would have been tantamount to a new building, and the relatively small area of alpha ventus is not suitable for this.
“Now we are working together with our partners and the responsible authorities on an environmentally friendly dismantling concept.”
Richter added: “We are still at the very beginning of our considerations for dismantling. Just as we were the first to build an offshore wind farm in German waters, we are now the first to gain experience in dismantling.
“It is completely normal to plan such work at an early stage – also because the special ships and port capacities required for this have to be booked well in advance.”