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Germany's Bard Engineering has inaugurated its two 5 MW prototype offshore turbines, installed onshore at Emden on Germany's North Sea coast. A third will go up offshore later this summer, using the Bard Tripile 1 foundation. It will be installed close to the coast in the outer Jade estuary, just off Hooksiel and north of Wilhelmshaven. All three units are being tested in preparation for construction of the Bard offshore 1 wind farm, to consist of 80 turbines 100 kilometres north-west of the island of Borkum. Turbine installation is due to start next May. Serial production of the foundations began at subsidiary Cuxhaven Steel Construction in April, says Bard. A special turbine installation vessel, Wind Lift 1, is on order from Lithuania's PC Western Shipbuilding Yard in Klaipeda and due for delivery next spring. Bard has also ordered a special purpose vessel from the Abeking & Rasmussen shipyard which, when completed in 2010, will be used for maintenance and supply of its future offshore wind stations.