The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has selected Diamond Transmission Partners (DTP) as the preferred bidder to own and operate the offshore transmission link connecting the 258MW Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm for the next 20 years.
Diamond Transmission Partners is a consortium which includes Mitsubishi and HICL Infrastructure. Ofgem selected DTP through a process where bidders competed to become the offshore transmission owner (OFTO).
The Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm will be located in the Irish Sea, around 6km from the shore. The wind farm will include 32 of 8MW turbines to be supplied by MHI Vestas. For the project grounded monopile structures to support the wind towers. Rotor diameter of the turbine is 164m and the hub height is around 105m.
It is owned by a consortium of Dong Energy UK, PKA and Kirkbi, who own 50%, 25% and 25% of stake in the project, respectively.
In February 2016, Dong Energy had agreed to divest its 50% stake in offshore wind farm project Burbo Bank Extension in the UK to Danish pension provider PKA and Lego Group's parent firm Kirkbi for around £660m.
The wind farm is expected to generate enough green energy to power around 230,000 UK homes.
The extension facility is located next to the existing 90MW Burbo Bank wind farm, which is situated on the Burbo Flats in Liverpool. It covers 40km² area and will sit to the west of the operational facility in Liverpool Bay, about 7km north of the North Wirral coast.