To mark the start of construction of the converter platform for the DolWin 5 offshore wind project, Aibel and its partners have conducted a so-called strike steel ceremony at Keppel FELS’ shipyard in Singapore.

The event marks the preliminary highlight of the offshore wind project, where Aibel in a consortium with Keppel FELS will build the converter platform for grid operator TenneT's DolWin 5 project in the German sector in the North Sea.

"After a year and a half of hard work on engineering and procurement in a challenging time, it is a great pleasure to see that the platform will now begin to take physical shape," says Project Director for DolWin 5 in Aibel, Svein Haug.

The project is an important part of Aibel's commitment to offshore wind, where the company already has a solid position in the international market.

“This is a great opportunity to highlight our shared ability to deliver to the customer as agreed. Furthermore, we will set the standard for future renewable projects, by demonstrating our competitiveness and ability to carry out large and complex projects," said Executive Vice President for Field Development and Offshore Wind in Aibel, Nils Arne Hatleskog, in his video-transmitted speech.

DolWin 5 is the second offshore wind platform that Aibel has now under construction since the company started construction of the Dogger Bank A platform at its own yard in Thailand in August. And the executive vice president is impressed with how the entire project team has handled the Covid-19 situation.

"Everyone has made a tremendous effort to be ready for today. Not only in terms of physical preparations but also in the work of building a good project culture. This has paid off throughout the corona period, and I am very proud of how positive and patient everyone has been. That's one of the reasons why we can celebrate this milestone today," Hatleskog said.

The platform will be completed at the Keppel FELS yard in spring 2023. Then it will be transported to Aibel's yard in Haugesund, Norway, where the HVDC equipment from Hitachi ABB will be installed before final completion. In 2024, the finished platform will be installed on the DolWin cluster in the North Sea, where Aibel's first offshore wind platform, DolWin beta, is also located.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Aibel