As part of a long-term charter with RWE, Les Alizés transported the first monopile for OranjeWind from the Maasvlakte II terminal of manufacturer Sif, near Rotterdam, to the offshore site and installed it in the seabed. With her 5,000-tonne crane, reaching more than 160 meters at full height, Les Alizés is ideally equipped to handle these massive foundations.
The monopiles used for OranjeWind are so-called transition-piece-less monopiles. This means the turbine towers are bolted directly to the monopile without a transition piece, which reduces the amount of steel used for each foundation. Each monopile will be about 90 meters long and 8 meters in diameter. All 53 monopiles are expected to be installed by early 2027.
About OranjeWind
OranjeWind is an offshore wind project developed as a joint venture between RWE and TotalEnergies. The installation of the first monopile marks an important milestone in the construction of the wind farm.
Earlier this year, the rock installation vessel Simon Stevin already installed a filter layer of scour protection on the seabed. This layer of rocks provides stability for the construction works and protects the seabed from erosion caused by currents and waves. At a later stage, the jack-up installation vessel Voltaire will install the wind turbines on top of the monopiles.
To address the challenges of fluctuating electricity production from wind energy and the flexible demand for electricity, OranjeWind will serve as a blueprint for the integration of offshore wind farms into the Dutch energy system.
