Economy
175 turbines now turning at world’s largest offshore wind farm
Trade association RenewableUK has revealed that all 175 turbines at London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, are now generating clean power.
The 630 megawatt (MW) development, located in the Thames estuary, is a collaboration between E.ON, Dong Energy and Masdar.
The project’s switch-on follows the completion of Lincs Wind Farm in March – a 270MW, 75-turbine wind farm off the coast of Skegness.
“Britain has a real achievement to celebrate here – the largest operational offshore wind farm in the world is generating clean electricity for British homes and businesses“, said Maria McCaffery, RenewableUK’s chief executive.
“It’s a monumental feat of green engineering.”
Meanwhile, head of Dong Energy’s UK wind business, Benj Sykes, 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.”
Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar, added that the milestone “brings us a step closer to showcasing the economic, social and environmental benefits of clean energy.”
In total, the London Array project generates enough energy to power almost 500,000 homes, whilst reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 900,000 tonnes a year.
The UK’s role as a thriving offshore clean energy hub was boosted this week when a tidal lagoon project at Swansea Bay called for a £10m investment to kickstart its development. Once completed, it will provide clean electricity to over 100,000 homes.
Meanwhile, the Scottish government recently approved an 11-turbine offshore wind farm near Aberdeen, ignoring legal threats from US billionaire tycoon Donald Trump.
Further reading:
£10m investment needed to kickstart Swansea Bay tidal lagoon
Why investing directly in renewables projects is a worthwhile venture
Scottish wind farm goes ahead despite Donald Trump’s protests