COMPANY PROFILE
2014
Smulders Wind Tower Constructions
+32 (0)14 672 281 | www.smuldersgroup.com
Introducing the power of cooperation
Editorial: Rosie DeWinter
An important player in the European offshore wind market, Smulders has an impressive reputation within the industry for efficiency, cost reduction potential and its production facilities that has seen it involved in many high profile projects, including Eneco’s Luchterduinen Q10. With continued success in the renewable energy market, the company reached a milestone earlier this year having received the largest order for the number of foundations in its history. The specialised manufacturer of offshore foundations and towers, Smulders Group NV was first established in 1966. Headquartered in Helmond, the Netherlands, its core activities include the construction, manufacturing and supply and assembly of steel constructions. Sub-divided in two divisions, wind turbine constructions and
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high-grade constructions, the company’s product portfolio includes monopiles, jackets, high voltage substations and towers. Almost 20 years ago the company entered into the renewable energy market with the production of onshore towers, before it released the increasing potential and began expanding its activities in the industry with
the production of foundations for offshore wind farms.
LEADING THE RENEWABLES MARKET Today, Smulders’ activities for the renewables market includes the fabrication of various types of offshore foundations and substations which has earned the company an impressive reputation for being an
smulders group organisation on an international scale and a market leader with a trusted and established track record. Of course, over the coming years, the wind energy market is only set to rise with the manufacture of bigger and more efficient turbines and much deeper water offshore locations. To prepare for these changes, Smulders is looking to expand both its capacity and facilities, including the latest technological advancements and new foundation developments. Smulders’ product portfolio is supplemented with onshore and offshore module construction of the High-grade Constructions division which produces offshore high voltage substations.
HIGH-GRADE STEEL CONSTRUCTIONS This second division, developing high-grade industrial constructions for both the onshore and offshore industry and for bridges, renovation projects and architectural constructions, requires a special and efficient approach due to their technical and often architecturally challenging nature. Many of the designs for the above projects are complex with a list of extensive requirements to be met. Although often large and challenging, Smulders prides itself on its technical ability to complete these with efficiency and competency.
PRODUCTION FACILITIES Where Smulders manages to stay ahead of its competition is with its numerous subsidiary companies, helping with the many phases of a particular project. Many of the production processes are managed in-house and then divided between the subsidiaries. This not only guarantees meticulous and consistently high standards but ensures both time and costefficiency with a focus on safe working conditions. Using a variety of locations, capacities and facilities, this has helped Smulders prepare for the production of foundations for the offshore sector and with the flexible setup of the centralised
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project organisation, this helps the company to provide a quick turnround on projects. At the company’s production facility in Antwerp, Smulders manages many activities including foundations and towers assembled with prefabricators before they receive surface treatment. The Hoboken facility has many specific characteristics, including a hoisting capacity of a 450 ton portal crane covering a surface of 60,000 m² and two 240 ton overhead cranes with a combined capacity of 480 tonnes. It also includes large production halls of 240 x 40 x 20m and 320 x 46 x 36m, high quality paint spray equipment and halls with controlled and conditioned environment and a storage capacity of over 30,000 m², within reach of the portal crane. Additionally, the facility has the convenience of the connection of production location with an open river to the North Sea.
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AN IMPRESSIVE MILESTONE
“Producing its 1000th transition piece at the Hoboken facility, Smulders Projects will supply and install all the secondary steel and surface treatment needed, while Sif Group will supply the primary steel tubulars”
Earlier this year, Smulders Projects, a subsidiary of Smulders Group, received an order from Van Oord Offshore Wind Projects, together with Sif Group, for the delivery of 150 transition pieces for the Gemini Wind Farm. Producing its 1000th transition piece at the Hoboken facility, Smulders Projects will supply and install all the secondary steel and surface treatment needed, while Sif Group will supply the primary steel tubulars. This project also marks a milestone for Smulders Projects in that it is the largest order for number of foundations the company has received in its history. The Gemini Offshore Wind Farm, located in the North Sea approximately 85 km from the coast of Groningen, currently comprises 150 turbines, all of which are four MW each. It will be one of the largest wind farms in the world and its results will more than double the number
of offshore wind turbines in the Netherlands from 139 to 283. Iemants, another subsidiary of Smulders Group, will build the two offshore substations that will be connected to the turbines in collaboration with Cofely Fabricom and CG. The project is expected to continue at the Hoboken facility until the middle of 2015 and is the fourth project that Van Oord has awarded to Smulders Projects for transition piece foundations, highlighting the importance of efficient customer service to the company.
for offshore wind turbines. Its biggest project saw over 1,000 towers manufactured for its onshore wind turbines. In addition to wind turbine towers, Smulders has totalled over 900 steel foundations for the offshore wind turbine industry, including Thornton Banks with 48 jacket foundations for offshore wind turbines and a total of 80 monopile foundations for offshore wind turbines for the Dan Tysk project. Smulders has also supplied the offshore transformer station to WPD’s 288MW Butendiek wind farm in Germany and the topside foundation to the Luchterduinen Q10. Since its inception, Smulders has diversified into new and lucrative areas whilst maintaining a successful and
A SUCCESSFUL PORTFOLIO The Smulders portfolio is certainly one to be proud of and since its inception, it has installed over 2,000 wind turbine towers for both onshore and offshore wind farms, including Gamesa with over 500 towers for onshore wind turbines and the Bard with 34 towers
efficient service, encouraging repeat service and a reputation to match. With a full order book and many projects, both existing and new, in the pipeline, Smulders’ status as an important player in the European offshore wind sector has placed them in good stead for a very bright future indeed
Lichtgitter – The power behind the wind For offshore application without any compromise Our products for the Wind-Offshore-Industry (http://www.lichtgitter.de/ftp/LIC_offshore_EN_2012.pdf)
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Helihoist
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Grating air strainer
Internal platforms
Transformer coverings
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Stairtreads
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External platforms
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True to the motto: “Lichtgitter – Everything from one source” we offer you the range to meet your wind energy plant requirements with all types of industrial floor coverings. Whether platforms of gratings of steel, stainless-steel, aluminum or GRP, chequer plates or transformer coverings to the point of helihoist and handrails, we give you an all inclusive package backed up by the established Lichtgitter quality. Due to our long lasting experience you can be assured that we will ensure quality and safety at all levels.
Product Range: Forge-welded gratings | Pressure-locked gratings | Perforated metal planks GRP gratings | GRP profiles | Chequer plates | Spiral staircases | Stairtreads Ladder rungs | Steel Service | Hot dip galvanizing
Stairtreads
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GRP-Handrails
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GRP-Vertical ladder
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External platforms
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GRP-Cable Tray
Lichtgitter GmbH Siemensstraße 1 48703 Stadtlohn Germany Tel.: +49. 2563. 911-0 Fax: +49. 2563. 911-182 info@lichtgitter.de www.lichtgitter.de
Lichtgitter GFK GmbH & Co. KG Siemensstraße 1 48703 Stadtlohn Germany Tel.: +49. 2563. 911-192 Fax: +49. 2563. 911-222 info@lichtgitter.de www.lichtgitter.de
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