Engineering news
EDF Energy Renewables has started to build a new offshore wind farm off the coast of Blyth in Northumberland.
Construction work for the project has begun onshore and offshore work will start in 2017 to install five turbines of 41.5MW in capacity. The turbines will provide enough electricity to power 33 000 homes. The project has permission for a maximum total generating capacity of almost 100 MW.
The project will use the latest generation of offshore wind turbines manufactured and installed by MHI Vestas Offshore Wind and this will be the first project to use 66Kv cable technology which will be installed by VMBS. Until now the standard voltage for cables has been 33Kv, but as turbines have grown in power, a higher specification has been developed.
The turbines will have concrete gravity base foundations – the first of their kind to be built in the world – and the new installation method of ‘float and sink’ will be used for the project – the first time this method has been used for wind turbines. The foundations will be designed and built by Royal BAM Group in the Neptune dry dock on the Tyne and will then be floated and sunk in position using tugs.
The power generated by the wind farm will be supplied to an electricity substation at Blyth which will be built by Balfour Beatty, for transmission to the National Grid. At its peak there will be around 200 people working on the project.
Matthieu Hue, EDF Energy Renewables chief executive, said: “As a company, we already have a strong presence in the North East, in low carbon electricity generation and serving customers including our first offshore wind farm at Teesside so we’re pleased to be able to add another project to our portfolio in the region.
“We are delighted that the gravity based foundations will be made in Newcastle. The Port of Blyth will be used for operations and maintenance and the blades for the turbines will be made on the Isle of Wight."
RenewableUK has welcomed the announcement and the significant steps in the evolution of the offshore wind industry taken by the scheme.
Chief executive, Hugh McNeal, said: “The Blyth project highlights how Britain is leading the way in offshore wind innovation. Our industry is at the forefront of developing renewable technology that will be exported around the world”.
The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult worked on the project from its inception. Chief executive, Andrew Jamieson, said: “EDF Energy Renewables’ green light on the Blyth Offshore Wind Farm is great news for the industry, and for the north-east in particular. The Catapult will continue to work closely with EDF ER through this and other projects on the development of innovative new technologies to further drive down the cost of offshore wind.”