The first of the 102 Siemens Gamesa 7MW wind turbines was installed on the 714MW East Anglia ONE wind farm offshore Suffolk on 22 June.
The installation of the first turbine marks the start of the final phase of the construction process following ten years of work and development, ScottishPower Renewables, the developer of the project, said.
All of the turbine components are being pre-assembled and loaded out onto DEME Offshore’s jack-up vessel Sea Installer from Peel Ports Great Yarmouth, following ScottishPower Renewables’ GBP 5 million co-investment in the port to prepare it for construction and marshalling activity.
“The installation of East Anglia ONE’s first turbine is a very important milestone for the project and a huge step forward towards completion of the windfarm,” said Charlie Jordan , East Anglia ONE Project Director for ScottishPower Renewables.
“East Anglia ONE is already providing a significant boost to the local economy with over £70million being committed to date to companies across the East of England and further opportunities as the project becomes operational. Through the development of East Anglia ONE, we are not only providing cleaner energy but an array of training and job opportunities for this generation and the next.”
ScottishPower Renewables has also invested GBP 25million in Associated British Ports’ Hamilton Dock, in Lowestoft, with the construction of a start-of-the-art operations and maintenance base. Building work is set to be complete by the end of the year and, once operational, the hub will be home to 100 full-time employees managing the day-to-day running and maintenance for East Anglia ONE.