The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH, or Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie), is the agency which decides on the approval of offshore wind farm development projects in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea. It carries out the application procedure for wind farms in the German Exclusive Economic Zone where it’s planned that most of the German offshore wind farms will be installed.
Part of this approval procedure is to examine whether all installations and structural components have been certified according to the standard “Design of Offshore Wind Turbines” of the BSH. This standard provides legal and planning security for development, design, implementa¬tion, operation and decommissioning of offshore wind farms within the ambit of the Marine Facilities Ordinance (SeeAnlV) and regulates the various structural components of an offshore wind farm that differ in terms of design.
The SGS Group’s Wind Energy Competence Center Hamburg, Germany, is one of the leading certification and inspection companies for onshore and offshore wind energy life cycle services, and carries out certifications according to this standard. As well as its other international onshore and offshore projects, SGS is currently involved in the certification process of the offshore wind farm projects Borkum West II, Gode Wind II, MEG I, Delta, Kriegers Flak ,West and Albatros in Germany.
BSH not only works together with SGS experts in the certification and verification process for these projects but also called SGS to its Expert Group on further developing the above mentioned “Design of Offshore Wind Turbines” standard.
“We are proud to be involved in developing this important standard and will provide our best expert accompaniment in order to take account of new knowledge and developments which SGS gains through its projects so the standardisation of an overall system can be achieved,” announced Jan Behrendt Ibsø, Global Director, Renewable Energy, SGS Group.
SGS’ step-by-step Project Certification consists of the Verification of Design Basis, Verification of Detailed Design, Manufacturing Survey, Supervision of Welding, Non-Destructive Testing, Material Testing, and Coating Inspections. Marine Verification and Warranty Survey, Critical Commissioning and In-Service Inspections will be carried out in order to minimize the total project risk. The earlier risks are detected, the earlier counter measures can be taken.
For more information about SGS’ Services for offshore and onshore wind project visit: www.wind.sgs.com