Vattenfall has completed decommissioning of the 10MW Yttre Stengrund offshore wind farm in the Kalmar Sound off Sweden.
The utility successfully dismantled five 2MW NEG Micon turbines which had been in operation since 2001 but which had been increasingly difficult to maintain and operate.
“The reason for the decision to dismantle the entire wind farm rather than replacing the turbines with new, more modern ones was both financial and technical,” said the company.
Local company Svensk Sjöentreprenad tackled the work, which involved removing rotor, nacelles and towers and cutting the concrete foundations at the level of the seabed.
“There were no major issues with the work itself but the operation was delayed by a month due to bad weather, which was a major risk throughout the dismantling process,” said Vattenfall.
The company said it plans to restore the site “in such a way that any trace of the former wind farm will be negligible”. Underwater cables will be removed in the summer of 2016.
Image: Vattenfall
