Press Releases 2004

April 19, 2004
Bilfinger Berger: Preliminary agreement to build the foundations for 80 offshore wind-power generators in the North Sea

At the Hannover Trade Fair, German Federal Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin was in attendance as Bilfinger Berger signed a preliminary agreement to build the foundations for 80 offshore wind-turbine generating systems. The client, Offshore-Bürger-Windpark Butendiek GmbH & Co. KG, is building Germany's first offshore wind park 34 kilometers west of the island of Sylt in the North Sea. The project has a total value of €400 million, with 20% of that sum to be accounted for by the technically challenging foundation work.

It will be carried out by Bilfinger Berger and one of its subsidiaries, F+Z Baugesellschaft, which specializes in offshore projects. The most difficult part of the contract will be working on the open sea to transport and install foundation piles weighing up to 360 tons. For each of the 80 wind generators, a specially developed steel pile must be driven into the seabed and a special adapter element fitted. These 70-meter-high constructions will rise 25 meters above the water surface, and the wind generators are to be installed on top of them.

Bilfinger Berger has proven competence in offshore projects and was involved recently in the construction of the Fino-1 research platform in the North Sea and of the North Hoyle wind park in the Irish Sea. The Group is also one of the world's leading suppliers of technically demanding underwater foundations.