The foundations have been built on two super pontoons in Zeebrugge’s inner harbour by a process comprising four phases – firstly the construction of the concrete slab, retaining walls, central shaft and lastly the icecone.
Jan De Nul said to GreenPort: “What makes this project so unique is that the large and heavy foundation elements are constructed on pontoons and in a very short period of only five months.”
Even more impressive when you imagine that the height of these foundations range from 15 to 25m and the heaviest element weighs around 1,940 tonnes.
Twelve foundations have now been completed and the largest pontoon departed the port this week bound for Eon’s Karehamn Offshore Wind Farm in Sweden.
GP’s sister magazine, Maritime Journal, reported back in December 2011, that Jan De Nul were looking to tap into the marine renewables market because it’s a good opportunity closely related to its dredging activities.
The company have not only constructed the foundations but is also performing the dredging operations for the windfarm. The foundations will be installed on a special rock layer which will be re-ballasted every 50 years or so.
Both civil and dredging works are due to be completed by Autumn 2012.
