The West of Duddon Sands offshore wind farm, co-owned by ScottishPower and Ørsted, has celebrated a decade since its commissioning in 2014.
This 389 MW wind farm was developed as a 50/50 joint venture and became operational in 2014. It features 108 Siemens 3.6 MW turbines located 14 kilometers off the Cumbrian coast in the Irish Sea.
In its ten years of operation, the project has generated enough renewable energy to power approximately 340,000 homes annually, equivalent to the size of Leeds, according to ScottishPower Renewables.
“The 10th anniversary of West of Duddon Sands allows us to reflect on industry progress and how early projects paved the way for new offshore wind farms. Offshore wind has become one of the cheapest energy sources due to technological and scale advancements, as well as the skills and expertise of the workforce,” said Emma Ford, Head of West Coast Generation at Ørsted.
The wind farm represents an investment exceeding GBP 1 billion and supported over 1,000 jobs at construction peak, with about 40 long-term skilled positions at its operations and maintenance base in Barrow-in-Furness.
It also spurred substantial investment and growth at Belfast Harbour, the first purpose-built offshore wind installation and pre-assembly harbor in the UK and Ireland, according to ScottishPower Renewables.
Iberdrola’s inaugural offshore wind farm marked a milestone, enhancing its operational portfolio to over 1 GW and a pipeline of more than 10 GW in the UK’s offshore wind market.
“Just two years after opening our first offshore wind farm, ScottishPower closed its coal-fired power stations, becoming the first major UK energy firm to generate 100% green energy,” said Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables CEO.
Ørsted’s UK fleet includes West of Duddon Sands as part of its twelve offshore wind farms, collectively powering over six million homes.
“Wind farms like West of Duddon Sands significantly contribute to renewable energy supply, playing a vital role in the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy,” added Emma Ford.
Original Story at www.offshorewind.biz