The developers of the world’s largest offshore wind farm have formally inaugurated the project.
The 630 MW London Array project has been operational since April and is a flagship project in the UK’s plans to expand its offshore wind power generating capacity.
Speaking at the official opening, Prime Minister David Cameron said that London Array proved that the UK’s investment climate for renewable energy was strong. "When it comes to clean energy, the UK has one of the clearest investment climates globally," he said.
London Array was developed by a consortium of Masdar, E.On and Dong Energy and consists of 175 Siemens wind turbines located 20 km off the coast of Kent, southeast England. It is one of several large-scale offshore wind projects that form part of the UK’s renewable energy strategy.
At the end of March, the 75th and final turbine was installed at Lincs offshore wind farm. The 270MW project off the coast of Skegness has the capacity to power more than 200 000 homes.
Other key projects coming to fruition include Teesside, Gwynt y Mor off the coast of North Wales and West Of Duddon Sands off the north west coast of England.
"The Prime Minister’s ringing endorsement of Britain’s offshore wind industry is a real boost for the entire renewable energy sector, which is a key growth area for the British economy," said RenewableUK CEO Maria McCaffery. "London Array is a magnificent feat of green engineering in a field in which Britain is the global leader, as we have more offshore wind capacity installed than the rest of the world put together."
Offshore construction began in March 2011 with the first foundations and the two offshore transformer stations. When the construction work was in full swing, over 60 vessels and more than 1000 people were at the site at the same time, said E.On in a statement.
