The Turbines | The Nacelles

The Rotorblades

BUILDING AND INSTALLATION OF

And then, at last, it was “turbine time” during the construction phase: 150 of them, each with three

63-metre blades. These huge blades were transported to the site of the wind park by the Pacific Osprey

and the Aeolus, jack-up installation vessels specifically designed to work at offshore wind parks.

The heart of each turbine is formed by the nacelle: the box-like cover that houses all the generating components, such as the generator, the drive train and the brake assembly.

In order to lower service costs and reduce working time, the nacelles have been specifically designed to make the moving parts of geared turbines easier to access. On top, there is room for dropping off a crew by helicopter.

The Turbines | The Nacelles

12 - 12

←

→

THE BUILDING AND INSTALLATION OF

Gemini selected the latest proven technology for its wind turbines: the Siemens 4.0 turbine. This turbine has a generating capacity of four megawatts and a rotor diameter of 130 metres. The design is a further advance on Siemen’s popular SWT 3.6 family of turbines.

The innovative blade design absorbs gusts of high wind by twisting the blade and spilling some wind, allowing for greater energy capture, longer system lifetime and stable electricity flow to the customer.

The workhorse

The nacelles

Passion for wind energy

Siemens supply chain

Hoe het begon, het Team , de maat van het Park etc. Hier kunnen eventueel veel losse stukjes komen.

From a distance they look like a little box, on top of the transition piece. However, the nacelle is the beating heart of the turbine. Here the rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to

create electricity.

The elements for turbines and nacelles came from all over Europe, especially Denmark and Germany. Take a look at the map to see where Siemens produced and gathered all the components necessary for producing renewable energy in an offshore environment.

Gemini chose proven technology for the turbines in the wind park: the Siemens 4.0 turbine. Based upon the very successful 3.6-megawatt family, this turbine offers numerous advances which increase the energy capture by up to 15 percent.

CEO of Siemens Wind Power – it’s a job that David Molenaar has embraced with his heart and soul. He believes that the importance of the Gemini project shouldn’t be underestimated: it has put offshore wind on the map in the Netherlands. And its contribution to the energy

transition is huge.

This was a delicate and precise process which could only be performed in good weather conditions. In the end, the reward came with the moment of ‘first power’ – a day to be remembered. The first turbines caught the North Sea wind and thereby started producing renewable energy, hopefully for decades to come.

The Rotor blades

6 - 6

←

→

THE BUILDING AND INSTALLATION OF

The rotor blades were the last elements to be shipped out and installed at their final location in the North Sea. The blades were developed by Siemens and are specifically suited for performing in harsh offshore conditions. Together with the other components for the turbines, the blades were shipped from Esbjerg harbour in Denmark and then installed, using huge cranes.

Shipping out

First power

Bringing it out to sea

The blades

Hoe het begon, het Team , de maat van het Park etc. Hier kunnen eventueel veel losse stukjes komen.

It was a long-awaited moment: the installation of the first turbines in the Gemini Wind Park: some 85 kilometres off the coast of the Netherlands, out in the North Sea, where the wind is almost always blowing. On 12 February 2016, the big day finally came: the departure, which led to ‘first power’!

The rotor blades produced by Siemens are the longest and most technologically advanced blades in the 4-megawatt class. They are – like the rest of the turbines – built to withstand the brute forces of the North Sea.

At the same time, their design increases the capture of wind power. Meet the B63 rotor blade.

All the component for the wind turbines were shipped from the Danish port of Esbjerg. This harbour city plays an important role in the construction of wind parks in the North Sea. From here, the construction of Gemini in its final phase was supervised.

Two specialised vessels were used for transporting the turbine elements out to sea: the Aeolus and the Pacific Osprey. Read more about these unique ships, that are purpose-built for transporting and construction work in the middle of the North Sea.