The BARD 1 wind farm is located in the North Sea and has a total of 80 wind turbines producing up to 400 MW which is connected into the german extra-high-voltage grid via a 125km long submarine cable. DLT supplied and operated a 16 x DL-S588 computer controlled strand jack system for the self-installation of the central transformer and accomodation platform. The strand jack system was used to suspend the 3,500 tonne jacket from the floating platform during sea transport, then to lower the jacket down onto the sea bed, and finaly to lift the 3,320 tonne platform up out of the sea into final operating position where it was then structurally connected to the jacket.

4 No DL-S588 strand jacks were fitted to each corner of the platform, as shown below, 2 No for suspending the jacket (top pair) and 2 No for lifting the platform up out of the water (bottom pair). The vertical strand was anchored at the top and bottom to the jacket, and remained static relative to the jacket throughout the operations. All strand jacks were monitored, synchronised and controlled by a single operator using our DL-P40 computer control system.