42 Siemens SWT-7.0-154 units will supply clean energy for approximately 300,000 Belgian households (photo: Siemens)

Siemens, as a significant player in offshore wind power, has successfully entered the offshore wind market in Belgium with a first order for the 309-MW Rentel wind project. The customer is Rentel NV, part of the Otary partnership, a conglomerate of specialists from the Belgian renewable energy industry including investment and development companies.

Siemens will supply, install, commission and service 42 wind turbines of the large direct drive platform. The output of the Rentel offshore wind power plant will be sufficient to supply approximately 300,000 households in Belgium with clean power. A long-term service agreement for a period of 17 years will provide customised offshore service and logistics solutions for the turbines, and includes Siemens’ data-driven advanced remote diagnostics and monitoring.

“We are pleased that Rentel NV has selected Siemens for our first project in the Belgian part of the North Sea,” says Michael Hannibal, Offshore CEO of Siemens Wind Power. “The advanced model of our proven direct drive offshore wind turbine platform and our advanced services will leverage the energy output of the Rentel offshore wind power plant and help to establish offshore wind power as a key pillar of a sustainable energy mix in various European countries”

The Rentel offshore wind power plant is located about 40 kilometres off the Belgian North Sea coast. The 42 Siemens wind turbines will be installed on monopile foundations in water depths ranging from 22 to 36 metres. The first turbines are expected to deliver power to the Belgian grid by mid-2018, while the entire offshore project is planned to become fully operational by the end of 2018.

Tags: Rentel NV, Siemens