RWE to trial vibro installation method at 342 MW Kaskasi offshore wind farm in the North Sea

“VISSKA” is the German acronym for a research project aimed at exploring the use of vibratory pile driving at the Kaskasi II offshore wind farm, in terms of installation, noise emissions, and the impact on the behavior of porpoises. RWE Renewables, itap GmbH, BioConsult SH GmbH & Co. KG as well as the University of Stuttgart (Institute of Geotechnical Engineering) and Technische Universität Berlin (Foundation Engineering and Soil Mechanics) signed a corresponding cooperation agreement. The German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy is funding the research project, which is being coordinated by RWE.

This year, RWE will start constructing the Kaskasi offshore wind farm (342 megawatts) off the German island of Heligoland. It will be the first commercial offshore wind farm in the world to use the improved installation method for driving the wind turbine foundations into the seabed to target penetration depth. The common foundations for offshore wind turbines have been driven into the seabed with individual blows from a hydraulic hammer. The new, reduced-noise process uses vertical vibrations to drive the foundations into position. 

The first measurements at sea are planned for the summer of this year. A total of 38 foundations for the wind turbines will be installed from the third quarter of 2021 onwards.