Vattenfall’s Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm, off the coast of Cumbria, UK, has been officially inaugurated.
The 150 MW Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm is the first commercial deployment of one of the world’s largest ‘market-ready’ wind turbines, the REpower 5MW.
It is also the first commercial deployment of steel jacket foundations fabricated in Scotland by Burntisland Fabrication. The wind farm also has the longest ‘single-pull’ electricity export cable installation in UK waters, stretching 42km.
“Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm is one of the most innovative operational offshore wind farms in the world and we believe it provides a glimpse into the future of offshore wind in Europe. The lessons that we have learned and the innovation we have demonstrated in the harsh environment of the Irish Sea will help us deliver the safe, productive and low cost offshore wind of the future,” said Øystein Løseth, Vattenfall's CEO.
“Vattenfall entered the UK wind market in late 2008. Since then we have invested over £2 billion in building five wind farms and supported thousands of British jobs.”
Construction of Ormonde Offshore Wind commenced in 2010 with the first turbines deployed in 2011, first power was in August 2011, the last was turbine installed the same month and commissioning completed in February 2012.