Sprogø Offshore Wind Farm
Sund & Bælt decided to build the Sprogø Offshore Wind Farm in reflection of the company’s policy of supporting green energy. As owner of several infra-structure facilities, Sund & Bælt wishes to set a greener agenda and contribute to increased use of green energy.
CO2 neutral future
The seven offshore wind turbines north of Sprogø will generate 66 million kWh per annum, enough to cover the total energy consumption of all Sund & Bælt’s infrastructure facilities. Consequently, Sund & Bælt will be one of the first in-frastructure companies in Denmark whose facilities are CO2 neutral.
Caring for nature and the environment
Respect for the climate is nothing new for Sund & Bælt. Since the company’s formation, it has worked pro-actively to demonstrate its respect for nature and the environment. The construction of the fixed links across Storebælt and Øre-sund was, therefore, carried out in an environmentally responsible manner – as will the construction of the fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt.
Membership of Global Compact
Sund & Bælt believes that climate issues are a global challenge and that the Group, therefore, must look beyond a purely national scenario as far as the cli-mate challenge is concerned. Consequently, in April 2009, Sund & Bælt joined Global Compact, the world’s largest voluntary UN sponsored initiative for cor-porate social responsibility to which more than 132 companies have signed up. Specifically, Sund & Bælt’s affiliation will mean even stronger focus on the company’s social responsibility and on the further development of an ambitious Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.
Seven Wind Turbines
The Sprogø Offshore Wind Farm consists of seven wind turbines and is located parallel to the East Bridge, north of Sprogø, on a straight line at 450 metre in-tervals between each turbine. Painted light grey, the turbines will harmonise with the Storebælt Bridge’s architecture and the natural surroundings.
Safety
The turbines are equipped with synchronised, flashing lights on the nacelles and railings, which will ensure the safety of aircraft and shipping in the Great Belt around the wind farm.
Power for 16,000 households
Each turbine can generate 3 MW. At full capacity, the farm’s overall effect will be 21 MW. Expected annual production is 66 million kWh, equating to annual electricity consumption of more than 16,000 households.
Vestas Offshore A/S was responsible for supplying and constructing the turbines. NKT Cables A/S supplied the sea cables which were laid by Peter Madsen Rederi A/S and Svensk Sjöentreprenad AB. The foundations were produced by the joint venture company Aarsleff A/S Bilfinger Berger.
Construction work for the Sprogø offshore wind farm takes place from mid-August until December 2009. The wind turbines are ready for use after 4 December 2009.
Respect for the environment
Following extensive environmental investigations, in 2008 the Danish Energy Agency gave Sund & Bælt the permission for the Sprogø Offshore Wind Farm project. The environmental investigations clarified the extent to which the tur-bines will impact on the area’s flora and fauna, both during the construction and operational phases. Throughout the construction phase, the environment was closely monitored and the investigations will continue during operation.
Prior to the erection of the offshore wind turbines, specially built ships pre-pared the sites. The ships carried out the excavation work and transported the dredged material to the West Bridge of the Storebælt Belt fixed link where it filled in cavities around the bridge piers.
Common porpoise
As one of Europe’s largest populations of common porpoise is found in Store-bælt, the environmental investigations especially focused on the project’s im-pact on the species. Impact on the common porpoise was expected to be limited and primarily occur during the construction period. In order to protect these animals to the greatest possible extent, the construction of the turbines started after the porpoises’ breeding season in mid-August. On behalf of Sund & Bælt, Denmark’s National Environmental Research Institute (DMU) carried out a porpoise monitoring programme during the entire construction phase in order to record the impact on the animals’ habitat.
Birds
There was extensive focus on the effect on the area’s many birds, particularly the migratory common eider and breeding sandwich tern. These species form the basis of the Bird Protection Area 98 that borders the wind turbine farm and covers the whole of Sprogø and the waters around the area. The environ-mental investigations showed that impact on birds will be so slight and tempo-rary that it is of little significance for the area’s bird population.
On Sprogø, special attention was given to protected species such as the green toad. A toad fence was erected in connection with the excavation work in order to keep the toads away from the excavation machinery and the excavations.
Impact on the seabed
A temporary loss of benthic fauna and mussels were expected due to the exca-vations for the foundations of the wind turbines and the cables. After comple-tion the animal life is expected rapidly to re-establish itself. As was seen at the pillars of the Storebælt Bridge, the turbine’s foundations can help to improve the marine environment by providing a favourable growing base for algae and mussels which provide feed for the animals higher up the food chain.