Fabrication of the Offshore Substation for the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm
Our journey in this project dates back to 2019 with the support to the client from the Bid Phase, to, subsequently, assume a fundamental weight in the supervision of the execution of the Substation, a stage that began in 2020 and in which the Boslan team transferred to the shipyard in Hoboken (Belgium) has exercised different roles in the construction of the OSS such as:
- Project Engineering
- Technical Office
- Field Supervision and Inspection
- Quality Control
- Manufacturing Engineering (mechanical and electrical systems)
- Interface Management with other packages
- Consulting at HSE level
- Overall supervision and control of the main contractor
The substation consists of a piloted steel foundation and an upper module consisting of a multi-storey enclosed structure, reaching a total weight of more than 7000 tons.
The purpose of the OSS is to collect the output of the wind turbines through cables that will be routed from the seabed to the 66 kV GIS through J-tubes attached to the lower decks of the platform, then up-rated by transformers to 220 kV, and finally export this electricity from the 220 kV GIS, also through J-tubes, to the German coast, connecting the wind farm to the onshore power grid.
The OSS includes all the equipment and systems necessary for the aforementioned voltage level transformation, as well as the auxiliary systems necessary for the development of such operations in an efficient and safe manner, among others: protection equipment, communications control, SCADA, etc. which among other functions allow the management of the normal operation remotely, reactors, chillers, auxiliary and emergency generation systems (diesel), active and passive fire fighting systems, HVAC, PAGA, CCTV, drainage, lifting systems (various types of cranes), safety and emergency systems, auxiliary transformers, low voltage systems, UPSs, heliport, various accesses for personnel transfers both from CTVs and by gangway (allowing access from larger vessels), etc., in addition to the metallic structure supporting the aforementioned transformation of the voltage level, as well as the auxiliary systems necessary for the development of such operations in an efficient and safe manner, among others, in addition to the metallic support structure to which complex surface treatment systems are applied to ensure resistance to corrosion in the aggressive marine environment.
After the Load Out of the OSS concluded in January 2023 and the Sail Away, the Substation is heading from Belgium to the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, located 75 km off the coast of Rugen in Germany and, after installation and fixation in its final location, the OffShore phase of the project will start, in which Boslan’s team will continue to provide the PMO service until its delivery to the O&M team.