November 29 - Eurogate, operator of Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven (CTW), Germany, has paired with project forwarder BLG and turbine manufacturer Areva Wind to handle, store and assemble rotor stars that will be used in the Global Tech I offshore wind p

Under terms of the deal, Areva Wind will use the CTW facility to store the oversize wind turbine components. Areva will use an area in the northern part of the CTW site that is not currently used for container handling, and accounts for roughly five percent of the entire terminal area.

The large amount of area available and its direct position onto the open sea qualified CTW for this project. The deal will initially run until April 2014.

The individual components that make up the rotor stars - the blades and hubs - will be transported on barges by sea to the quayside in Wilhelmshaven from Areva Wind's manufacturing facilities in Bremerhaven and Stade. The 56.5 m rotor blades and hubs, which have a combined weight of 115 tonnes, will be assembled on the CTW site and loaded directly onto the installation vessel Vidar and delivered to the Global Tech I wind farm.

Andreas Wellbrock, member of the BLG management board, commented: "Having already been responsible for the transport, handling and intermediate storage of the foundations and final assembly at WeserWind, we are pleased to have won the contract for the logistics of the wind turbines."

Emanuel Schiffer, chairman of the Eurogate Group management board, added: "Eurogate already successfully handles heavy wind energy components in Bremerhaven. Our staff are qualified experts. Wilhelmshaven is ideally suited as a location for further project business as there are very few natural restrictions. The direct location on the open sea and the extensive areas are ideal for storing and assembling wind turbines."

www.eurogate.eu

www.areva.com