Monday 3 June 2019

Operations begin at world’s largest offshore wind farm in the UK

Operations have officially started at the world’s largest offshore wind farm located off the coast of Yorkshire.

Developer Ørsted said the first operational team of 32 set sail today from Grimsby Royal Docks to the 1.2GW Hornsea One offshore wind farm, 120km out to sea.

They are part of two shift-based teams responsible for operating and maintaining the wind farm, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout its 25-year lifespan.

To date, more than 50 of the 174 Siemens Gamesa 7MW turbines are operational and installation is expected to continue until late summer.

When fully operational in 2020, the wind farm will generate enough clean electricity to power more than a million homes.

David Coussens, Deputy Operations Manager for Hornsea One, who is leading the first operational team shift said: “Operating a wind farm this far offshore is unprecedented. We’ve had to think creatively and come up with new ways of working to overcome the logistical and technical challenges of operating a massive power station 120km from the shore, about the same distance as Grimsby to Leeds!”

Ørsted will be at The Energy Solutions Show (TESS) in Birmingham this Wednesday, where the company will be discussing how businesses can meet their sustainability goals while keeping stakeholders happy and watching their budgets.

If you wish to register as a delegate for free, you can send an e-mail here.