A2SEA Installs All Race Bank Turbines

A2SEA’s jack-up vessel Sea Installer has installed the last turbine at Ørsted’s 573MW Race Bank offshore wind farm located off the North Norfolk coast in the UK.

The installation of all 91 turbines at the site means that the project remains on schedule, with the wind farm expected to be full operational in early 2018, Ørsted said.

“This has been one of the more difficult projects to execute with challenging seabed conditions and a complex export cable route.  Construction has progressed well and we’re right on schedule – this is an important milestone to reach,” David Summers, Project Director for Race Bank at Ørsted UK, said. “We’re now looking forward to completing construction and seeing a fully operational wind farm next year that will be capable of powering over half a million UK homes.”

The Race Bank offshore wind farm is using Siemens Gamesa 6MW turbines, many of which will feature the first blades to be manufactured at the company’s blade factory in Hull, opened in December 2016.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy’s UK Managing Director, Clark MacFarlane, said: “Installation of the final turbine on any project is always a cause for celebration, but especially so for the completion of the Race Bank project. We will always associate Race Bank with the initial batch of turbine blades delivered from our Hull factory, a turning point in the UK renewable energy industry.”

A2Sea’s jack-up vessel installed the first turbine on site in May this year.