Leonardo has signed a contract with Danish company Uni-Fly for two AgustaWestland AW169 light intermediate twin engine helicopters, which will perform offshore wind farm support operations for DONG Energy at Hornsea Project One in the UK.
At the end of September, CHC Group informed that it had entered a six-year contract with DONG Energy for Hornsea Project One aviation services and that it will be working with Uni-Fly as a sub-contractor .
The AW169 aircraft to be delivered by Leonardo will enter service in the first quarter of 2018.
The company stated this order marks the first contract for the AW169 model in Denmark as well as the first AW169s to be used to support wind farm duties in UK, following operations carried out in the North Sea for other customers in Europe.
The helicopters will feature a specially customised configuration including a dedicated offshore interior and rescue hoist to support maintenance personnel working on the wind turbines, Leonardo said.
Once operational in 2020, the 1.2GW Hornsea Project One will become the largest offshore wind farm in the world, consisting of 174 turbines. The Siemens 7MW turbines will be located 120km off the Yorkshire coast, covering an area of approximately 407km2.