UK: First Turbine Components Arrive for Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm

The first sets of wind turbine towers, blades, hubs and nacelles have arrived into the Port of Mostyn for installation at RWE npower renewables’ Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm.

The Siemens 3.6 megawatt turbine components arrived on board a RoRo ferry, SeaTruck Pace, from Denmark on Friday (18th Jan).

The three sets of complete turbines are the first of a weekly delivery into Port of Mostyn for installation more than eight miles offshore in Liverpool Bay, beginning in April.

At least £50m by has been invested by RWE npower renewables into the Port of Mostyn to create Gwynt y Môr’s wind turbine installation base and long term operations and maintenance base.

Approximately 100 long term skilled engineering jobs will be created to support activity at Mostyn.

RWE npower renewables’ Gwynt y Môr Project Director, Toby Edmonds said:

“The successful arrival and offloading of the first turbine components is an important achievement in the construction of Gwynt y Môr which is already well underway offshore in Liverpool Bay.

“The shipment arrived on time and is an important indicator that the project is on schedule to be completed as planned in 2014.

“Over the coming months our port facilities at Mostyn will house all the wind turbine towers, blades, hubs and nacelles ready for installation throughout 2013 and into 2014.

“The first shipment included three nacelles, three hubs, three top and bottom towers and nine blades amongst other components.

“They will undergo some pre-assembly works by the onsite Siemens team at Mostyn before installation begins in April using the jack-up vessel, SeaJack.”

Siemens is supplying and installing 160 wind turbines for the Gwynt y Môr project. Siemens is also responsible for connecting the wind turbines to the UK grid, which includes supply of two turnkey offshore transformer platforms, which will use high-voltage sea cables and transmit power to St. Asaph, from where inland distribution will take place. Siemens will also provide operations and maintenance services for five years, with the option of an extension for a further seven years.

The Siemens 3.6MW turbines are being constructed at its factory in Brande, Denmark and shipped from the port of Esbjerg to Mostyn.

Clark Macfarlane, Managing Director, Offshore Siemens Wind Power UK said: “The arrival of the first turbines at the Port of Mostyn is another important milestone in this key project.

“The Gwynt y Môr wind farm is creating significant benefits for the Welsh economy and local community, as well as for the renewables industry as a whole in the UK.

“We are very pleased with progress so far and look forward to the next stages of the project.”

Managing Director of the Port of Mostyn, Jim O’Toole, added: “The Gwynt yMôr offshore wind farm is the seventh and by far the largest renewable energy construction project to be undertaken from The Port of Mostyn to date.

“The arrival of the first turbines on board the ship “SeaTruck Pace” is a welcome addition to the Port’s own business and also to those businesses which have been developed in and around the Port to support the renewable energy sector off the north Wales coast.”

Offshore construction at Gwynt y Môr is well underway more than eight miles offshore, with 80 monopile foundations and the two offshore substations now in place.

Onshore, the new 400kV Bodelwyddan substation south of St Asaph Business Park is now live and connected to the National Grid. The 132kV substation, on the same site, which takes electricity from the offshore substations, will be connected into the National Grid later this year. The 11km onshore cable route between Pensarn and St Asaph is almost complete.

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Press release, January 28, 2013; Image: RWE