DONG Energy has installed the first turbine at the West of Duddon Sands offshore wind farm, located in the East Irish Sea around 14km from the nearest coast on Walney Island, Cumbria.
The 389MW project, a 50-50 joint venture between DONG Energy and ScottishPower Renewables, will feature 108 Siemens 3.6MW wind turbines with a 120m rotor diameter and generate enough electricity to power more than 300,000 UK households.
The company has started both onshore and offshore construction works at the project, which is expected to be commissioned by late 2014.
Offshore work includes installation of foundations and wind turbines, export and array cables and an offshore substation, while the onshore work includes the onshore substation, grid connection in Heysham, Lancashire, and building of new bespoke O&M facilities for the project in Barrow-in-Furness.
The developers installed an offshore substation in May 2013, officially marking the start of offshore construction works, and installed 54 of 108 monopile foundations and transition pieces at the project in late July 2013.
Swire Blue Ocean’s Pacific Orca and A2SEA’s Sea Installer, which are carrying out offshore work for the project, expect to complete foundation installation by the end of October 2013.
ScottishPower Renewables project director Charlie Jordan said installation of the first turbine at the West of Duddon Sands project is testament to the hard work of developers, as well as contracting teams and suppliers.
"The operations at Belfast Harbour have been working well, and we are delighted with progress on the project," added Jordan.
In September 2013, CT Offshore also reached the halfway mark in cable installation on the project, which it carried out through its purpose-built cable laying vessel, CLV SIA.
Image: The first turbine has been installed. Photo courtesy of DONG Energy.
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