Biggest wind farm completed

Last Turbine Installed at World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm

From: ClickGreen Staff, ClickGreen, on ENN.com. More from this Affiliate

Construction of the 125th and last turbine at the London Array Offshore Wind Farm has been completed, marking the end of major construction activities at the massive 630MW renewable energy site.

Turbine installation began in January 2012 and has been completed by MPI Discovery, A2SEA's Sea Worker and Sea Jack.

With all turbines in place and 55 connected and supplying power to the national grid, the wind farm is on track to be fully operational in Spring 2013. The wind farm has been generating energy since October 2012 when the first turbine began producing power.

The installation of the last turbine at London Array is the culmination of a huge amount of effort and coordination by everyone involved in the project. This year alone 84 foundations, 175 wind turbines, 178 array cables and three export cables have been installed at the project.

London Array is now focusing on the commissioning and testing of the remaining turbines before the project is handed over to the Operations and Maintenance team in 2013.

Benj Sykes, Head of DONG Energy's UK Wind business, 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."

Tony Cocker, Chief Executive Officer of E.ON UK, commented: "Today is another significant milestone for London Array and the UK as the installation of the final turbine brings us one step closer to the completion of the world's largest offshore wind farm. We are proud to mark this achievement and I pay tribute to all involved in the construction to date. I look forward to seeing London Array's contribution to the UK's low carbon energy mix for many years to come."

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said, "This milestone brings us a step closer to showcasing the economic, social and environmental benefits of clean energy. London Array is a testament to how collaboration, the right policies and a commitment to sustainability can advance the new energy industry. Masdar is a proud partner, and we look forward to the completion of the world’s largest offshore wind farm."

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