Siemens awarded €700m North Sea contract for 80 wind turbines

Siemens has been awarded a contract worth more than €700m (£596m) to supply, install and service 80 wind turbines for an offshore wind farm off the North Coast of Germany.


When the Butendiek plant comes online in 2015, the wind power plant’s total generating capacity of 288 megawatts will be sufficient to supply around 370,000 households.

The agreement also covers a long-term maintenance contract for a period of ten years, which is the first of its kind for an offshore wind project.

In addition, Siemens will provide a new logistics concept that includes a service operation vessel specially developed for accommodation and deployment to offshore wind facilities.

Butendiek, to be erected about 32 kilometres west of the island of Sylt near the German-Danish border, is the eighth offshore wind power plant order that Siemens has won in German waters and the second in Europe.

The wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3.6 megawatts and a rotor diameter of 120 meters, are to be erected across a surface area of 42 square kilometres in waters measuring about 20 meters deep.

Siemens Energy’s Wind Power Division CEO Felix Ferlemann said: “By 2020, we estimate that the combined installed electrical generating capacity of wind power installations worldwide will reach 500 gigawatts.”

“Offshore wind power plants constitute by far the fastest growing segment of this market. Maritime wind power is playing a key role in Germany’s energy turnaround efforts. Its broad acceptance among the general public and significantly higher energy capture than onshore installations are particular points in its favour.”

This is the latest addition in a long line of renewable projects Siemens has invested in. Last December the company announced it would develop the world’s first community tidal power project

However, in October last year, Siemens announced it was pulling out of the solar business.  

Conor McGlone

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