The 402MW Dudgeon offshore wind farm located off the coast of Norfolk, UK has begun its operations.
The Dudgeon wind farm is owned by Norwegian energy company Statoil with 35% stake, Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company Masdar with 35% and hydropower company Statkraft with 30%.
The first turbine was installed at the site in January and with all the 67 turbines being installed, the wind farm is now generating clean electricity and supplying it to the UK’s grid.
The turbines for the wind farm include Siemens’ 6MW. Each of the turbines has a total height of 187m, rotor diameter of 157m, with a hub height of 110m.
Electricity from the wind farm is enough to power around 410,000 British households. The wind farm is estimated to offset at least 575,000 tonnes of CO2 and 13,000 tonnes of SO2 emissions annually.
Statkraft has been a partner in the wind farm project since acquiring the 30% stake in 2012. Statoil will continue to be the operator during the wind farm’s operations over its life time of 25 years.
According to Statoil, investing in the offshore wind farm was part of the company’s strategy to broaden its energy mix and grow significantly in renewable energy. The company is planning to invest at least £9.5bn over the next few years in renewable energy.
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. And the project itself has been delivered on time, below budget, and most importantly with an excellent safety record.”
Image: Dudgeon offshore wind farm is now operational. Photo: Courtesy of Statkraft.