UK: Turbine Installation Complete at London Array

London Array today announced that the 175th and last turbine at the first 630MW phase of the London Array Offshore Wind Farm has been installed, marking the end of major construction activities.

Turbine installation began in January 2012 and has been completed by MPI Discovery, A2SEA’s Sea Worker and Sea Jack. With all turbines in place and 43 connected and supplying power to the national grid, the wind farm is on track to be fully operational in Spring 2013. The wind farm has been generating energy since October 2012 when the first turbine began producing power.

The installation of the last turbine at London Array is the culmination of a huge amount of effort and coordination by everyone involved in the project. This year alone 84 foundations, 175 wind turbines, 178 array cables and three export cables have been installed at the project. London Array is now focusing on the commissioning and testing of the remaining turbines before the project is handed over to the Operations and Maintenance team in 2013.

Benj Sykes, Head of DONG Energy’s UK Wind business, said: “Having the final turbine installed is another landmark in this flagship project for the UK and for DONG Energy. The London Array will soon be the largest operational offshore wind farm in the world – building offshore wind farms of this size and larger in the future allows us to harvest the advantages of scale and is an important element of our strategy to drive down the cost of energy.”

Tony Cocker, Chief Executive Officer of E.ON UK, commented: “Today is another significant milestone for London Array and the UK as the installation of the final turbine brings us one step closer to the completion of the world’s largest offshore wind farm. We are proud to mark this achievement and I pay tribute to all involved in the construction to date. I look forward to seeing London Array’s contribution to the UK’s low carbon energy mix for many years to come.“

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said: “This milestone brings us a step closer to showcasing the economic, social and environmental benefits of clean energy. London Array is a testament to how collaboration, the right policies and a commitment to sustainability can advance the new energy industry. Masdar is a proud partner, and we look forward to the completion of the world’s largest offshore wind farm.”

London Array is being built around 20km off the coasts of Kent and Essex. The wind farm will be installed on a 245km2 site and will be built in two phases. Phase One covers an area of 90km2 and includes 175 turbines with a combined capacity of 630MW. If approved, the second phase will add enough capacity to bring the total to 870MW. The project consortium partners have the following shareholdings: DONG Energy owns 50%, E.ON has 30% and Masdar has a 20% stake.

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Press release, December 13, 2012; Image: London Array