Low-noise wind energy technology

Low-noise wind energy technology
Offshore wind energy turbines can now be anchored at low noise levels to the seabed using the innovative PREON® marine steel tube system manufactured by Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes.

Düsseldorf, 20 March 2012. When piles are driven into the seabed to anchor offshore wind energy turbines, a great deal of noise is made. This is extremely harmful for the local fauna. The critical limit of noise level, determined by approving authorities, may not exceed 160 decibels, which is actually louder than a jet aeroplane during take-off. However, despite the use of sophisticated technology, it is not always possible to comply with the regulations. The new PREON® marine steel tube system from Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes reduces noise emissions to approx. 75 decibels, which is about the same as a bicycle bell. Compared with gravity foundations, which take up as much space as a football pitch, the new system needs a much smaller area. This is not merely better for the environment than previous systems: the fact that the turbines can be installed quickly and at low cost also has distinct economic advantages. It means that companies can use PREON® marine to install systems in regions of the North Sea and the Baltic that are subject to the strict German regulations. “The new system will make a major contribution to the shift in German energy policy towards alternative energy sources. Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes offers an environmentally friendly solution for the construction of offshore wind farms which saves time and materials, and therefore also reduces costs,” says Andreas Denker, Managing Director of Vallourec’s Industry Division.

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) forecasts that in the North Sea and the Baltic an installed generating capacity of 40 GW will be reached by 2020. At the present time, the most efficient turbines can generate 5 MW of electricity. In other words, approx. 8,000 additional offshore wind energy systems will be needed by 2020. For the year 2030, the EWEA expects an offshore installed generating capacity of 150 GW, which would mean the installation of up to 20,000 more units.

Smart weight distribution
Whether jacket, tripod or tripile sytems are used, the installation of offshore wind energy turbines has, in the past, always involved the installation of one or more piles which have to be driven up to 60 metres deep into the seabed to ensure that the turbine is stable. To do this, it takes as many as 3,000 hammer blows. PREON® marine, the new tube system solution for which Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes now has a patent pending, distributes the weight of the turbine in a different way: the loadbearing frame made from seamless Mannesmann steel structural hollow sections (MSH) has a polygonal base. In each corner, up to three steel injection piles are drilled into the seabed and anchored there. The constructive structure of PREON® marine means that the threaded injection piles only have to be driven approx. 20 metres deep into the seabed. These injection piles have a much smaller external diameter than driven piles. As a result, the PREON® marine system means that foundations can be installed with much less force, noise and material, and also much more quickly – which is good for the environment and for marine life. The system will help to ensure that the German government’s climate objectives can be met, under which wind energy is to meet half the country’s electricity needs by 2050. To attain this goal, the German government aims to increase onshore and offshore capacity from its current 25 GW to 85 GW.

Tried and tested tube system solution
PREON® marine is part of the PREON® product line – the name given by V & M TUBES to its own solutions for constructive engineering based on seamless structural steel hollows (MSH).

About the company:
Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes, a Vallourec Group company and manufacturer of seamless hot finished tubes is a world leader in premium tubular solutions primarily serving the energy markets, as well as other industrial applications. With over 22,000 employees, integrated manufacturing facilities, advanced R&D, and presence in more than 20 countries, Vallourec Group offers its customers innovative global solutions to meet the growing energy challenges of the 21st century. In 2011, the group sales amounted to €5.3 billion. Listed on NYSE Euronext in Paris (ISIN code: FR0000120354, Ticker VK) and eligible for the Deferred Settlement System, Vallourec is included in the following indices: MSCI World Index, Euronext 100 and CAC 40. In the United States, Vallourec has a sponsored Level 1 American Depository Receipt (ADR) program (ISIN code: US92023R2094, Ticker: VLOWY). The ratio of Vallourec ADR to ordinary shares is 5:1.

Press contacts:

Technical Press
Daniel Paschke
V & M DEUTSCHLAND GmbH
Theodorstr. 90
D-40472 Düsseldorf
email: Daniel.paschke@vmtubes.de
Phone: +49 211 960 – 37 91
Fax: +49 211 960 - 23 45
www.vmtubes.de

Corporate Press Germany
Friederike Gräfin v. Bassewitz
V & M DEUTSCHLAND GmbH
Theodorstr. 90
D-40472 Düsseldorf
email: Friederike.bassewitz@vmtubes.de
Phone: +49 211 960 – 2774
Fax: +49 211 960 - 2351
www.vmtubes.de

Corporate Press international
Caroline Philips
Vallourec Group
27 avenue du Général Leclerc
F-92660 Boulogne-Billancourt Cedex - France
Phone: +33 1 41 03 77 50
email: caroline.philips@vallourec.fr
www.vallourec.com