Vattenfall is getting ready to inaugurate the 49.5MW Kentish Flats Extension offshore wind farm on the southern side of the Outer Thames Estuary at noon local time today.
The wind farm comprises 15 MHI Vestas V112 3.3MW turbines and is located next to the 90MW Kentish Flats offshore wind farm which has been operational since 2005.
The site boundaries adjoin the west and southern side of the existing wind farm and cover an area of approximately 7.8km².
“Kentish Flats Extension is a relatively small scheme which punches above its weight. Novel foundations, safer and quicker installation, new procedures, longer blades: these and other innovations mean that KFE is a flag bearer for knowledge driven cost reduction. Vattenfall and the industry are ahead on the low cost energy challenge. Thanks to projects like KFE, I believe we will be competitive enough to meet the tough targets set out by the UK Government,” Gunnar Groebler, Vattenfall’s Vice President of Business Area Wind, said.
“Building extensions, like KFE, also offers significant cost advantages to the industry and I am sure we will see more of these around Europe. The Crown Estate should be praised for its initiative to encourage schemes like KFE. The extensions leasing round plugged a pipeline gap in the UK but crucially it allowed developers to improve on existing assets. We have grabbed that chance at KFE.”
Kentish Flats Extension produced its first power in August 2015, and all of its 15 turbines were put into operation in September 2015.
The offshore construction of the wind farm situated some 8 kilometres off Herne Bay and Whitstable on the Kent coast in May 2015.