Statoil and its partners Masdar and Statkraft have officially opened their 402MW Dudgeon offshore wind farm, built at a cost of around £1.25bn in Great Yarmouth, UK.
The offshore wind farm has started delivering power to the national grid. It will have an annual production of 1.7TWh which is sufficient power to cover around 410,000 homes.
Dudgeon features 67 turbines of 6MW each which have been manufactured by Siemens.
The offshore wind farm, which was originally estimated to cost £1.5bn, has been built 40km off the coast of Norfolk in England. According to Statoil, local suppliers make up for more than 40% of the value creation in the offshore wind project.
Statoil CEO Eldar Sætre said: “As part of our strategy to develop from an oil and gas company to a broad energy major, Statoil will grow significantly in profitable renewable energy, with an ambition to invest around NOK 100 billion towards 2030.
“Dudgeon has successfully been developed in cooperation with Masdar and Statkraft, and is a key part of Statoil’s strategy to complement our oil and gas portfolio with profitable renewable energy solutions, as well as adding to Statoil’s strong UK presence.”
Statoil is the operator of the Dudgeon wind farm with a stake of 35%. Norwegian state-owned hydropower company Statkraft, which currently owns a stake of 30% in the wind farm, had acquired it along with Statoil from Warwick Energy in 2013.
In 2014, Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy firm Masdar joined the wind farm project by buying a stake of 35% from Statoil for £525m.
Statkraft president and CEO Christian Rynning-Tønnesen said: “The way that the Dudgeon project has been delivered embodies the strengths and culture of the companies involved, Statoil, Masdar and Statkraft.
“It has required significant technical innovation, has been delivered through an excellent relationship with local stakeholders and suppliers.
“In addition, the development of Dudgeon has stimulated local jobs and economic growth for the East Anglia region.”
Image: Dudgeon offshore wind farm in the UK. Photo: Courtesy of Ole Jørgen Bratland – Statoil