Van Oord

Van Oord was contracted by Two Towers (Van Oord, Investri Offshore and Green Giraffe) as Balance of Plant contractor for the Borssele Wind Farm Site V innovation project in the Dutch North Sea. The project comprised two 9.5 MW-class turbines installed on monopile foundations and implemented multiple first-of-a-kind innovations, notably the submerged Slip Joint connection between monopile and transition piece, as well as nature-inclusive scour protection concepts. Within its Balance of Plant scope, Van Oord contributed engineering input to the foundation design, including the in-house Slip Joint concept, and executed offshore works using its installation and cable assets. The company deployed offshore installation vessel Aeolus and performed subsea cable works with cable-laying vessel Nexus and the Dig-It trencher, indicating responsibility for the transport, laying and burial of the project’s inter-array cables. Van Oord also implemented eco-friendly scour protection around the turbine foundations as part of the project’s innovation and environmental enhancement approach. The wind farm was reported as fully commissioned in February 2021. The works were delivered during the COVID-19 period, and the project team highlighted cooperation with construction partners and the grid connection interface with TenneT as contributing factors to timely delivery and successful implementation of the innovations.