MT Højgaard : Helping the UK harness the power of ocean winds

Danish contractor MT Højgaard is a world-leader in installation of foundations for offshore wind turbines, and the UK is making extensive use of the company's knowledge and experience of construction projects in a marine environment.

The UK is well placed for reaping energy from the ocean winds. Surrounded by relatively shallow waters, it has strong wind resources from both the Atlantic and the North Sea. According to the British Wind Energy Association, the UK is estimated to have over a third of Europe's potential offshore wind resource. That potential is now busily being tapped, and in the area of offshore wind turbine foundations, one company is leading the way in helping the UK achieve its wind energy ambitions – the Danish contractor MT Højgaard.

Having pioneered offshore foundations with the installation of 20 turbines outside Copenhagen Harbour on Middelgrunden in 2001, and 80 turbines 14 kilometres out into the North Sea at Horns Rev off the Danish coast in 2002, MT Højgaard was contracted to construct the foundations for the UK's so-far largest wind farms on Kentish Flats in the North Sea in 2005 and on Burbo Bank in Liverpool Bay in 2006.

New projects in England, Scotland and Wales
Currently, MT Højgaard is installing 54 foundations for the Lynn and Inner Dowsing offshore wind farms, 5 kilometres out into the North Sea off the coast of Lincolnshire and 62 foundations for the Robin Rigg offshore wind farm in the Solway Firth between Scotland and England, and is designing and manufacturing 25 foundations for the Rhyl Flats wind farm 8 kilometres off the north coast of Wales for installation in 2008.

The Lynn and Inner Dowsing projects are being carried out for the British energy group Centrica. Both are 90 MW wind farms, which together will supply enough power for 130,000 British households – almost 50% of all the households in Lincolnshire County. Moreover, the two wind farms will reduce atmospheric emissions of CO2 by approx. 500,000 tons annually.

With MT Højgaard's world-leading experience in developing and installing foundations for offshore wind turbines, Centrica had no hesitation in choosing the Danish firm as a partner.

"We chose MT Højgaard because they met all our technical requirements," explains Alan Thompson, Renewables Projects and Operations Manager at Centrica. "It is clear that they have solid experience in constructing offshore wind turbine foundations, and we look forward to continuing the good collaboration."

Mighty hammer for massive steel piles
The 54 foundations for the Lynn and Inner Dowsing projects consist of steel piles with a diameter of 4.7 metres, driven 20 metres down into the hard chalk seabed. For this purpose, MT Højgaard has leased a specially constructed giant hammer from a supplier in Germany.

Bente Østerbye, Section Director at MT Højgaard, comments: "I don't know whether it's the world's largest hammer, but it is certainly big. And that is just one of the challenges. Out on the open sea no two projects are ever the same, and both weather and seabed conditions can be tricky. So our experience is crucial in being able to carry out the task on time."

About MT Højgaard
MT Højgaard a/s is Denmark's leading contractor with activities in Denmark and abroad. The vast majority of MT Højgaard's tasks are in construction and civil works - from project design to construction of bridges, residential buildings and commercial properties as well as refurbishment of existing building and civil works. In 2006, MT Højgaard generated revenues of DKK 11 bn (EUR 1.5 bn). The company employs almost 6,000 people.