Up to 6,000 homes in UK are now receiving electricity from the first producing wind turbine on the 402MW Dudgeon offshore wind farm, Statoil reports.
After a successful installation of the first wind turbine in early January, operator Statoil and partners Masdar and Statkraft were able to set the first turbine in production on 7 February delivering electricity to the UK National Grid.
The installation of the remaining wind turbine generators is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2017, when the wind farm will be fully operational, according to Statoil.
“This is a significant milestone for one of the largest offshore wind farms in Europe. I am particularly satisfied with the on time deliveries and the HSE performance so far,” said Margareth Øvrum , Statoil’s executive vice president for Technology, Projects and Drilling.
67 foundations were installed on the Dudgeon Bank last year, along with the cables and the offshore substation that collects the power generated by the wind turbines. This work involved as much as 2,000 vessel days and almost the same number is anticipated this year for the installation of turbines.
The Dudgeon offshore wind farm site is located 32 kilometres offshore Norfolk, and comprises 67 Siemens 6MW wind turbine generators.
The GBP 1.5 billion Dudgeon project is part of Statoil’s strategy is to gradually complement the oil and gas portfolio with profitable renewable energy and other low-carbon solutions.
“Building a profitable renewable portfolio on the foundation of 40 years of oil and gas experience is a competitive advantage. We can leverage on our marine operations competence, our experience with complex projects and our supply chain. A lot of work remains, but seeing the first Dudgeon turbine producing electricity is very satisfying,” said Stephen Bull, Statoil’s senior vice president for offshore wind. Video:YouTube/Statoil