Global steel giant ArcelorMittal has announced that ArcelorMittal Asturias in Gijón will supply 23,000 mt of heavy plate for the construction of 29 jacket foundations for the Wikinger offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. Shipments will be delivered between March 2015 and March 2016.
Installation of the jackets, which help to anchor the turbine to the sea bed and are suited for installation in deep water, will start in the first quarter of 2016 and is expected to be completed by the end of summer the same year.
ArcelorMittal Asturias is the only heavy plate producer in Spain. The development of new steel grades and the use of state-of-the-art steel processing technologies have enabled it to broaden its steel product offerings so as to access new markets and diversify its product range. The company said that the supply of heavy plate for offshore wind turbines is another step in this direction. These steel grades not only have to provide the mechanical properties required to support the wind turbine structure, but must also offer outstanding resistance to corrosion in a highly aggressive environment.