C1 Connections obtains DNV Certification for the C1 Wedge Connection™

DNV has successfully certified the C1 Wedge Connection, developed by C1 Connections BV.

The C1 Wedge Connection™ is a high-capacity, low-maintenance connection that can be installed in a fast and safe manner. It can be used both in off- and onshore wind turbines as an alternative to bolted flange connections currently used in tubular steel wind turbine towers and foundations.

As part of the certification process C1 Connections -together with Delft University of Technology– has performed thousands of hours of fatigue segment testing, several ultimate capacity tests and elaborate FE-analyses. Also, the production and installation of the C1 Wedge Connection™ was tested at full-scale.

The development of the C1 Wedge Connection™ started in early 2017. Development of this technology has received support by Dutch Government Agency RVO and several industry partners have contributed to further optimization. The technology focuses on highly loaded connections which can be found at monopile-to-transition-piece level and between foundation and tower.

Moving forward C1 Connections will continue optimizing the C1 Wedge Connection™ towards full-scale production for commercial wind farms.

“Obtaining the DNV certificate is a crucial step in the development of our technology. It is the result of years of work in which the vital aspects of a new technology are addressed – from design and testing to full-scale production. The industry is becoming increasingly aware of the fact that the bolted connection is reaching its limits for highly loaded structures. The offshore wind industry is clearly looking for an alternative type of connection. The C1 Wedge Connection™ can reduce CAPEX and OPEX while increasing safety and speed. In an ever-growing market these aspects will play an increasingly important role in the next generation of wind farms.”

JASPER WINKES, MANAGING DIRECTOR C1 CONNECTIONS B.V.

About C1 Connections B.V.

C1 Connections BV is a Dutch privately-owned company dedicated to developing and commercially exploiting the C1 Wedge Connection™. C1 Connections BV strives to deploy the C1 Wedge Connection™ as the future standard for highly loaded connections in off- and onshore wind projects.