Maria Caulfield MP for Lewes has officially opened Rampion’s Operations and Maintenance base located at Newhaven Port’s East Quay within the Newhaven Enterprise Zone.
The facility will be home to the 60-strong operations and maintenance team tasked with the running of the UK south coast’s first offshore wind farm. It houses the wind farm’s control room, offices and warehousing space.
“I am pleased that Rampion has constructed their Operations and Maintenance base here in Newhaven,” Caulfield said.
”The town had previously been neglected for a very long time, which is why I based my office here. Rampion’s base in the port is part of a much wider regeneration of the town that will transform it for the better for all local people.”
The 400MW Rampion offshore wind farm is located 13km off the Sussex coast and is owned by E.ON, Canadian energy infrastructure company Enbridge and a consortium comprising of the Green Investment Group, Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5 and the Universities Superannuation Scheme.
Last month all 116 MHI Vestas 3.45MW turbines began delivering power to the grid. The wind farm is due to be completed later this year.
Richard Crowhurst , Plant Manager for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, said: “The base is conveniently sited quayside for easy access to crew transfer vessels, which take turbine maintenance teams to the wind farm every day. The teams will service every turbine once a year to ensure they have the highest levels of availability to generate clean green electricity throughout their lifetime.”