Re-Connect: Øyfjellet Wind Farm Project
Back in 2021, deugro Danmark A/S completed the Øyfjellet Wind Farm Project in Norway on behalf of our client Nordex. Over a period of 10 months, the team successfully shipped, discharged, shifted, stored and delivered 72 N149/5.x-megawatt (MW) wind turbines with a total volume of 400,000 freight tons. The wind turbine components, comprising of blades, nacelles, drivetrains, hubs, and tower sections, were transported from Spain, Germany and Turkey to the Port of Mosjøen in Norway.
Upon arrival of the cargo at the Port of Mosjøen, the cargo was discharged and shifted to the storage area under the supervision of our deugro team. Afterward, the components were transported from the port to the Øyfjellet Wind Farm in three convoys per day. The largest cargo units were 26.8-metric-ton NR74.5 blades with dimensions of 72.4 x 4.5 x 3.2 meters, and the heaviest were bottom tower sections with a weight of 81.1 metric tons each and measurements of 14.6 x 4.3 x 4.3 meters.
“We are pleased that the project went very well and all the cargo was safely delivered. Together, we successfully overcame all challenges, for example the weather, which tightened the legs of delivery to the site, and we had to modify our set-up of the port storage and vessel discharge several times. A big thanks to our client and subcontractors for the great collaboration,” says Lars Nielsen, Project Manager at deugro Danmark A/S. Anne Thing, Project Coordinator at deugro Danmark A/S, adds: “What I really enjoyed about this project were the daily preparations and analyses such as the storage area planning, vessel offloading and crane outreach. And not to forget the great cooperation with the Nordex team on site.”
The other perspective: Nordex outlines
Over the course of the project, we had the chance to have a chat with one of our main contact persons at Nordex, Thomas Strasser, Area Logistics Manager for Nordex Finland Oy. Thomas is a true professional and brings over 20 years of shipping and logistics experience with him. In our interview, we spoke about the wind industry in general and the challenges of the Øyfjellet Wind Farm Project.
Thomas, thanks for taking the time to give us an exclusive interview and additional insights. As mentioned, you have been working in the shipping and logistics industry for over 20 years already and only recently joined Nordex, one of the biggest windmill manufacturers worldwide. Can you give us an insight into the industry from your perspective? Did you notice anything specific compared to other industries?
You’re right, I am still a new player in wind logistics, as I joined Nordex only two years ago. Although, already during this period, I have noticed a rapidly increasing size and weight of components to satisfy the demand. At the same time, especially the logistics and engineering challenges are increasing permanently, too. The handling of those bigger components is more complex, and factors like the capacity of vessels, terminals and utilized equipment needs to be rethought and maybe even replaced by new solutions.
Another important factor to mention is the increasing demand for secondary logistics services on an engineering and IT level. Tracking, planning, simulating and design are becoming more and more important. For that, highly professional and advanced IT solutions are needed.
Looking into the future, similar to other sectors, there will be difficulties within the wind market, too. Currently, wind turbines have a projected life span of 20 to 30 years. During this time, a wind turbine will need to be properly maintained and occasionally have some parts replaced—especially the gearbox and the blades. With longer lifespans, additional maintenance work and logistics as well as engineering challenges become more complex as well.
Thank you for sharing those insights with us. For the Øyfjellet Wind Farm Project in Norway, you worked together closely with our deugro Denmark office. Could you share a few impressions about that with us?
I was overall very pleased on a personal and a professional level. deugro employees spoke our language in regard to overcoming challenges, and I always had the feeling we were in this project together as a team. I very much appreciate this, as it is not always like this. I assume that is why the cooperation and the port handling worked so well.
That’s great to hear. How do you usually choose contractors?
You can call me “old school” or a little “outdated”, but I still choose a contractor based on the impression the people make. In a small group of project professionals, the level of capabilities is quite similar. What makes the difference is the attitude. Being in a project together as a team. Proactive thinking, own independent initiatives and support—that’s what enables a smooth execution and that is what I am looking for when choosing suppliers. Luckily, I was not disappointed and the deugro team could handle every challenge.
Thank you, Thomas, for your time and insights. We highly appreciate the great collaboration and are looking forward to hopefully more joint projects to come.
