Greg Barker MP, the UK Energy and Climate Change Minister, has opened a new extension to the Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm which will host a demonstration of the next generation of offshore wind turbines in UK waters. The turbines are made by Siemens and installed by DONG Energy and have been deliberately designed to be used at sea while having the potential to significantly cut the cost of offshore wind.
Many turbines currently installed in offshore wind farms in UK waters have been variants of turbines deployed onshore however the new generation turbines deployed at Gunfleet will be more cost-effective and efficient.
“The Coalition is driving huge new investment to deliver both affordable bills and cleaner energy for consumers” said Mr Barker. “This includes an important role for offshore wind. Dong Energy’s Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm is an excellent and innovative example. It’s helping the country take another step towards a clean, secure energy future while helping to support local jobs.”
Benj Sykes, DONG Energy Wind Power’s UK Country Manager added that the inauguration of the project is an important milestone for the company in the UK and that DONG Energy is a market leader in the sector because it uses the latest technology to push the boundaries of the industry forward.
Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm consists of two phases, Gunfleet Sands 1 and 2. The construction phase for the total project began in September 2008 and full production was reached during the Spring of 2010. The wind farm’s total capacity is 172MW and it consists of 48 turbines, 30 of these in Gunfleet Sands 1 and 18 in Gunfleet Sands 2, each turbine having a capacity of 3.6MW.
The offshore wind industry in the UK now provides clean energy for 2.3 million homes each year. Since 2010 DECC has recorded private sector announcements that could see over £29 billion of investment in renewables in the UK, investment that has the potential to support around 30,000 jobs across the country. Last month the government published its Official Wind Industrial Strategy which sets out government and industry’s joint plans for developing a thriving UK supply chain for offshore wind. This includes investment by the government of £20 million, from the Regional Growth Fund, in order to improve the competitiveness of the UK wind industry’s supply chain and £46 million for the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult over 5 years to link innovation between industry, government and academia and help bring new products to market.
The government also provides support for offshore wind innovation through the Offshore Wind Component Technologies Scheme which has a budget of up to £15 million. The scheme will help companies to test and demonstrate devices and to develop component technologies with the aim of cutting the costs of offshore wind energy in the run up to 2020 and beyond.
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