First turbine installed at 714 MW offshore wind farm in UK

ScottishPower Renewables has completed the installation of the first 7-MW wind turbine for its 714 MW East Anglia One offshore wind project. It marks the start of the final phase of the construction process following ten years of work and development.

All of the turbine components are being pre-assembled and loaded out from Peel Ports Great Yarmouth. The components, consisting of 75-meter fiberglass blades, tower sections and nacelles (the head of the turbine), have been on view along the Great Yarmouth seafront and skyline as the 90 meter-high towers have been constructed and stood on the quayside.

Each of the 306 fiber glass turbine blades has been manufactured by Siemens Gamesa at its specially built factory in Hull, while some of the towers are being produced in Machrihanish, Scotland, by CSWind UK. The work taking place at Peel Ports is being supported by several local companies and employees.

The GBP2.5 billion (US$3.1 billion) wind farm is located 43 km off the Suffolk coast in the North Sea. It will feature a total of 102 Siemens SWT-7.0-154 turbines, comprising 155 km of 66 kV array cables including end terminations. The 66 kV high voltage technology will enable increased power transmission back to shore from large, high powered offshore turbines over traditional 33 kV cables. The project also consists of 102 SF6-free, gas-insulated 8VM1 high-voltage switchgear. The 8VM1 operates with vacuum circuit-breaker technology and with clean air instead of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) as the insulating medium. The switchgear will protect each wind turbine individually against overloads and short-circuits.

ScottishPower Renewables has also invested GBP 25 million (USD 31 million) in Associated British Ports’ Hamilton Dock, in Lowestoft, with the construction of a start-of-the-art operations and maintenance base. Building work is set to be completed by the end of the year and, once operational, the hub will be a hive of activity with 100 full-time employees managing the day-to-day running and maintenance for East Anglia ONE.

Once completed, the project will generate enough energy for the consumption of more than 630,000 homes annually.