The onshore construction phase of an ambitious offshore wind project in the U.K. has officially started.
Work on the electrical system that will be used to transport power from the Innogy-owned Triton Knoll windfarm to U.K. homes began Monday, the team behind the project said in an announcement.
"Triton Knoll construction is officially up and running," Julian Garnsey, Triton Knoll project director, said. "This moment is the culmination of years of planning, engineering, consultation, and cooperation with our supply chain and stakeholders to produce a state of the art wind farm, which benefits both local and regional economies."
Located approximately 20 miles off the east coast of England, the scale of Triton Knoll is considerable. When completed, it will have a maximum installed capacity of around 860 megawatts (MW). More than 57 kilometers of underground electrical export cable will be installed below the county of Lincolnshire during construction.
Depending on its final capacity, the facility will be able to supply as many as 800,000 average U.K. households each year. Roughly 3,000 people are expected to work on the onshore and offshore phases of the project at the peak of its development.
The U.K. is a leader in offshore wind. Last week saw the official opening of the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm in the Irish Sea, currently the world's largest operational offshore wind farm. With a total capacity of 659 MW, the Walney Extension is capable of powering nearly 600,000 homes in the U.K., according to Danish energy business Orsted.
"The U.K. is the global leader in offshore wind and Walney Extension showcases the industry's incredible success story," Matthew Wright, Orsted U.K. managing director, said at the time.
Key Points
- More than 57 kilometers of underground electrical export cable will be installed below Lincolnshire during construction.
- The U.K. is a leader in the offshore wind sector. Last week, the 659-megawatt Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm officially opened.
The project will use the MHI Vestas V164-9.5 MW wind turbine, pictured above.
image courtesy of innogy Renewables
