innogy selected by UK Government in the third CfD for its 1.4GW Sofia offshore wind farm which will be located 195km of the coast in North Sea
Image: innogy selected to build 1.4GW offshore wind project in the UK. Photo: Courtesy of David Kaspar Willmann/Pixabay.
The UK Government has selected the 1.4GW Sofia offshore wind farm of innogy in the latest auction round to support renewable energy projects Contract for Difference (CfD).
The company will now move ahead towards the final investment decision (FID) and construction of the 1.4GW Sofia offshore wind farm.
innogy estimates £3bn in capital expenditure on Sofia offshore wind farm
innogy expects that the total capital expenditure for the wind farm will amount to £3bn. The German company owns a 100% stake in the wind farm, which will be located 195km off the coast on Dogger Bank in the North Sea, where the wind conditions are considered to be ideal and the place is also marked by relatively shallow water depths of 21 to 36 metres.
innogy SE Renewables chief operational officer Hans Bünting said: “I am very pleased that Sofia, the largest project in our offshore wind portfolio, has been successful in the latest UK auction.
“We have passed an important milestone on the way to realising Sofia wind farm and also proved that we can continue to be successful in a very competitive market environment. Sofia’s auction success confirms the excellent work the team has done in recent years.
“Thanks to our extensive know-how in the development as well as the construction and operation of complex offshore projects and our varied research and development activities we have succeeded in developing a valuable project and in further reducing the costs for offshore wind energy in the UK.”
innogy expects FID on the offshore wind project to be taken next year when the contracting agreements with supply chain partners will be completed.
Onshore works on the project are scheduled to begin in 2021, followed by offshore construction in 2022. First power from the Sofia offshore wind farm could be generated in 2024/25 and the facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2026.
Once operational, the offshore wind farm will be able to generate enough power to be supplied to 1.2 million average UK homes.