IQIP, EnBW, Vattenfall to Test Low-Noise Offshore Monopile Installation

(Credit: IQIP)

IQIP, EnBW and Vattenfall have announced plans to carry out a full-scale offshore monopile installation using EQ-Piling technology at a wind site in German waters.

The installation will take place at the Dreekant offshore wind farm, owned and developed by EnBW, with DEME contracted to execute the work using its installation vessel Orion.

The demonstration marks the first offshore deployment of the EQ-Piling method following an earlier inshore test in Rotterdam, the companies said.

The installation is intended to validate reduced noise levels during piling without the use of additional mitigation measures such as bubble curtains.

The offshore installation is planned for the coming month, subject to final permitting, and is expected to support further development of the technology for future wind projects.

“We have strong confidence in the technology’s potential and commercial application. With the full-scale monopile installation, we will demonstrate that EQ-Piling lives up to its promise of being significantly quieter. We will enable a reduction in CO₂ emissions by removing the need for additional bubble curtains and the vessels that support them,” said Robert Diepenbroek, IQIP Chief Executive Officer.

“At Vattenfall, we advance offshore wind as a key enabler of the energy transition through European industrial capability and genuine innovation. Progress comes when knowledgeable partners at the heart of the industry work together to turn new technology into reality,” added Cyril Moss, Executive Project Director for Nordlicht I and II at Vattenfall.

“We support new technologies - such as EQ-Piling - that minimise environmental impact while increasing output and reducing costs. EnBW has engaged early with relevant stakeholders to secure all required permits for execution of the test,” noted Jörg Egbers, Vice President Offshore Engineering at EnBW.