RWE is installing recycled hard covers from Dutch company Circular Covers B.V. at the Thor Offshore Wind Farm. They will protect the monopile foundations from harsh weather conditions at sea until the turbine towers are installed in 2026, RWE said in a press release.
The recycled covers serve as a temporary but crucial solution to protect against seawater, rain and bird droppings until the turbine towers are installed on the monopiles. Normally, covers are discarded after use, as they are custom-made for a specific offshore wind project.
However, the covers from Circular Covers B.V. are made of glass fiber reinforced composite panels that are bolted to a steel frame. Therefore, the design allows the panels to be adjusted so that they can be reused for different sizes of monopiles. It is expected that the individual panels on these covers can last for 15 years or longer, depending on how often their diameter needs to be adjusted. The Covers to be used at Thor Offshore Wind Farm from have previously been used at an offshore wind farm off the Dutch coast.
- We are committed to sustainable improvements and innovations in our offshore wind turbine projects, and the reusable covers are an important part of this. At RWE, we are the first in the world to install covers from Circular Covers B.V., which have previously been used on the open sea. These covers reduce waste and increase circularity, while the initiative exemplifies our commitment to sustainable solutions, says CEO of RWE Offshore Wind Sven Utermöhlen.
In addition to the recycled covers, RWE will use CO2-reduced steel towers and reusable wind turbine blades in the project. The installation of the foundations – including the reusable covers – will begin in spring 2025, while the installation of the turbines is planned for 2026.
The Thor Offshore Wind Farm is expected to be operational in 2027 and will be able to supply more than one million Danish homes with green electricity.
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