• First nacelles shipped from Cuxhaven to Ostend harbor in Belgium, installation port for Rentel wind power plant
• Further step in industrialization of offshore wind technology
• Heavy components to be moved in tailor-made “Roll-on/Roll-off” process
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has now fully implemented its cutting-edge offshore logistics concept announced in late 2015: After the establishment of a blade plant in the harbor of Hull, England in 2016 and the opening of a nacelle factory in Cuxhaven, Germany in 2017, the company eliminated road transportation of large and heavy wind turbine components from factories to installation harbors. With the first load of nacelles shipped from Cuxhaven to the Belgian offshore wind power plant Rentel on the purpose-built transport ship Rotra Vente, SGRE’s Ro/Ro logistics concept is now fully functional. Compared to the former setup including road transportation and crane loading, SGRE significantly increases safety while saving approximately 20 percent in logistics costs. The concept is aligned to the offshore cost-out measures as part of the business strategy presented by Siemens Gamesa at the Capital Market Day in February.
One key element of this advanced transport solution is the efficient link between Siemens Gamesa’s offshore production locations in Cuxhaven, Germany, and Hull, England, provided by two purpose-built transport vessels. Another is the new process of loading and unloading these ships: Instead of lifting tower sections of up to 200 metric tons and nacelles weighing around 400 tons by crane, the large and heavy components are rolled on and off of these vessels. This “Roll-on/Roll-off” process is known as Ro/Ro. Siemens Gamesa has utilized this method inside its plants for many years. Based on this experience, the company’s experts further refined the concept together with deugro, an international forwarder in the capital project and heavy lift field. Tailor-made transport frames are used to store and move the nacelles. These transport structures are mounted under the bedframe of the nacelles, and can be carried by Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs). These self-lifting, motorized units feature a large array of wheels, and are remotely controlled by experienced operators.
