The Danish industrial group
Bladt Industries has invested in a large expansion of the production facilities in Lindø port of Odense, Denmark, thereby making the company among the first suppliers to produce the foundations for future offshore wind turbines up to 300m high.
Anders Søe-Jensen, Bladt Industries’ CEO, said: “Soon, most wind farms will be dominated by 15MW turbines with a rotor diameter of 240m. These turbines require an enormous foundation fixed to the seabed; and we are now moving one step closer to meeting the future demand, while at the same time consolidating our position as one of the leading suppliers of offshore wind foundations and sub-stations.”
Since 2013, Bladt Industries has had production facilities at Lindø port of Odense. The company now plans to initiate a new production facility where the ‘enormous XXL monopile foundations will be manufactured’, and it expects to be ready to deliver these in 2022. These monopiles will be up to 100m long, 15m in diameter and weigh over 3,000 tonnes each.
The global offshore wind market is expected to grow significantly over the next few years. In the EU, 12GW of wind power is currently installed, and the plan is to increase the level of wind power capacity from the current 12GW to 60GW by 2030 and to 300GW by 2050.
In Denmark, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has welcomed Bladt Industries’ investment. Michael Hannibal, one of the company’s partners, said: “We know that the global market for offshore wind energy will grow in the next few years. We also know that the Danish wind power industry must invest massively to keep its leading position, which is particularly significant in offshore wind power.
“Therefore, it is positive that Bladt Industries istaking the next step towards scaling their production capacity in Odense. This will resonate well with the global wind power industry where we need to position ourselves as a pioneering country within wind energy.”
Over the last 25 year, Bladt Industries have delivered more than 2,300 foundations for offshore wind turbines, which equates to almost one third of all offshore wind turbines in the world. The company has also delivered a large number of offshore sub-stations.