Munich. TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH has been commissioned by Strabag Offshore Wind GmbH to undertake certification of Strabag's offshore project Albatros 1. Plans provide for approximately ten wind turbines to be constructed on gravity foundations at the wind farm test site. As the certification body for the project, TÜV SÜD will support the Albatros 1 offshore wind farm in accordance with the relevant standard of the German Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH).

"We founded the Offshore Wind Energy department in January 2011 with the aim of concentrating our areas of expertise in the offshore sector," explains Alexander Heitmann, head of TÜV SÜD Industrie's Offshore Wind Services department in Hamburg. "This commission is the next major step forward in the significant expansion of our offshore activities." Strabag Offshore Wind plans to establish approximately ten wind turbines on gravity foundations at the Albatros 1 wind farm test site, 93 kilometers east of the island of Juist, and monitor their operations for close analysis. The TÜV SÜD team will accompany the project and carry out the necessary inspections and tests.

"Our tests and inspections are based on the 'Design and Construction of Offshore Wind Turbines' standard of the German Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH)," comments Malte Lossin, who heads the project for TÜV SÜD. TÜV SÜD Industrie Service has been approved by BSH for the certification of offshore wind farms in 2010. The services provided by the TÜV SÜD experts comprise project-related tests during the design, draft, and construction-planning phases. "Upon successful completion of the tests, we prepare the requisite conformity certification," states Lossin. These certificates of conformity are the precondition for successful completion of the BSH approval process.

The experts at the Offshore Wind Services department of TÜV SÜD Industrie Service provide support for planners, constructors, investors, and operators by supplying certification of offshore wind parks, technical testing of offshore structures, preparation of risk assessments, development and auditing of occupational health and safety programs and full-scale quality assurance during the construction of offshore projects. A further area of focus is the inspection and quality control of production for all components, encompassing cross-interface quality assurance for the interaction of individual components, as well as coordination of design and production. In addition, the TÜV SÜD experts will conduct regular cyclical inspections of offshore turbines during their entire life.

Further information about TÜV SÜD's Wind Energy Services can be found on the Internet at www.tuev-sued.de/windenergie.

TÜV SÜD at Hannover Messe: TÜV SÜD will attend 'Wind', the leading trade fair for wind energy, in Hannover from April 4-8 (Hall 27, Stand J66).

Media Relations:

For more information, contact:
Dr. Thomas Oberst
TÜV SÜD AG
Corporate Communications
INDUSTRY
Westendstaße 199, 80686 Munich
Tel.: +49 (0) 89 / 57 91 - 23 72
Fax: +49 (0) 89 / 57 91 - 22 69
Email: thomas.oberst@tuev-sued.de
Internet: www.tuev-sued.de

For more information in the U.S., contact:
Paul Weirl
Director, Industry Service
TÜV SÜD America Inc.
10 Centennial Drive
Peabody, MA 01960
Tel: 978-573-2536
Fax: 978-977-0182
Email: pwierl@tuvam.com
Internet: www.tuvamerica.com

About TÜV SÜD
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH supplies engineering, testing and inspection, and consulting services for manufacturers and operators of process-engineering plants, buildings, and infrastructural facilities. Additionally, the 2,400 employees offer consulting services for the planning and construction phases, and provide support in optimizing and safeguarding smooth operation right down to dismantling and disposal.

TÜV SÜD is a leading international service organization catering to the strategic business segments INDUSTRY, MOBILITY, and CERTIFICATION. Over 16,000 employees are represented at more than 600 locations throughout the world. Optimizing technology, systems and know-how, the interdisciplinary specialist teams act as process partners to strengthen their customers' competitiveness.