With Bibby to Albatros in the North Sea:

Siemens Gamesa and EnBW, together with Michael Westhagemann, Hamburg's Senator for Economics, Transport and Innovation, are today putting the Bibby Wavemaster Horizon into operation in the Port of Hamburg. With the 90-meter-long, high-tech special vessel, the two companies will ensure the smooth operation and maintenance of the two wind power plants, EnBW Hohe See and Albatros, in the North Sea.

"Offshore wind energy already supplies reliable clean electricity for millions of households in Germany," says Dr. Marc Becker, Managing Director of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy GmbH & Co. KG. "With our new service ship presented today in Hamburg and the development of ever more powerful wind turbines, Siemens Gamesa is continuously reducing the cost of renewable energy. Today, clean electricity from wind energy is already competitive with conventional power generation. We should continue to use the potential of wind energy in Germany in the future."

"The climate protection targets can only be achieved with the large-scale expansion of onshore and offshore wind power. The two wind power plants, EnBW Hohe See and Albatros, are currently the largest offshore project in Germany. We want to commission both parks by the end of 2019 with a record total output of 609 MW," explains Stefan Kansy, Head of New Construction Projects at EnBW. "In addition, there is our 900 MW He Dreiht offshore wind power plant, which we expect to build from 2025 and which will not require subsidies. The experience we will gain from operating the Bibby Wavemaster Horizon will be incorporated into the planning for He Dreiht."

Michael Westhagemann, Senator for Economics, Transport and Innovation of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, says: "The ship is great and a shining example of the technological progress the industry has achieved in recent years. It is clear to me that effective climate protection and the success of the energy transition depend on innovations and technical solutions. It goes without saying that the framework conditions in the country must also be right. We are pleased that we have at least been able to raise the offshore target in the German government's climate package. In recent years, the northern German states, together with industry and associations, have fought hard to achieve this. However, this can only be a start. Wind energy is the backbone of the energy turnaround and offshore wind energy has an even more important role to play in view of current developments in the onshore sector".

On board the special vessel ordered by Siemens Gamesa and EnBW, there is room for a crew of up to 60, consisting of a ship's crew and service technicians. The technicians will live and work at sea for two week intervals until they are brought ashore again by helicopter.