TÜV SÜD has completed certification of the 600MW Gemini wind farm located in the North Sea off the coast of the Netherlands.

The certification scope included certification of two sub-stations and a design assessment for the wind farm located in the Dutch exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the North Sea, around 85km off the coast north of the province of Groningen.

The wind farm’s design documentation review, which covered the support structures of the wind turbines, including 150 monopiles and connection structures, has already been completed by TÜV SÜD.

TÜV SÜD, on behalf of international service provider Gemini, has now completed the certification of the two offshore sub-stations which involved review of the design documentation and the geotechnical report as well as the review of the sub-stations’ support structures and topside platforms.

TÜV SÜD Industrie Service Offshore Wind Energy department project manager Ulrich Knopf said: “We are very happy that Gemini placed these contracts with TÜV SÜD.

“For us, this fact also confirms our position as one of the world’s leading certification companies for onshore and offshore wind turbines and wind farms.”

In 2013, Typhoon Offshore, on behalf of Gemini, selected TÜV SÜD to conduct the 300MW high-voltage offshore substations certification, which is needed of for the licensing process by the Dutch authorities for Gemini wind farm.

The wind farm is expected to supply 785,000 households per year with clean, renewable electricity while the sub-station platforms will convert the alternating current produced by the wind turbines into high-voltage alternating current for distribution onshore with reduced losses.