With the final investment decision for the Walney Extension project in place, Siemens has received its first order for the new 7MW offshore wind turbine. The company will supply, install and commission 47 direct drive wind turbines in the Walney Extension East project in the Irish Sea.
The order is part of the frame agreement concluded between DONG Energy and Siemens in 2012. The capacity of Walney Extension East will be sufficient to supply more than 230,000 British homes with clean energy. Service for the plant will be provided jointly by Siemens and DONG Energy for a period of five years.
“This marks the first order for the innovative Siemens 7 megawatt wind turbine,” said Michael Hannibal, CEO Offshore for Siemens´ Wind Power and Renewables Division . “We introduced this upgraded version of our proven 6 MW model into the market only last March, and today we are proud to announce that DONG Energy has chosen our new flagship offshore turbine. Our 7 MW turbine will leverage the energy output of the Walney Extension East Offshore Wind Farm and contribute significantly to lowering the cost of offshore wind power.”
Installation of the turbines is expected to start at the beginning of 2018. The project is situated next to the Walney 1 and 2 offshore wind farms, each equipped with 51 Siemens wind turbines with an output of 3.6 megawatts each.
Image: Siemens