Siemens nacelles for 3.6MW wind turbines, at at the Harwich International Port (UK)
The world’s largest offshore wind farm, the London Array, was opened this year in Margate, Kent (UK). Now the second largest offshore wind farm in the world, costing $2 billion and generating enough clean electricity to power over half a million homes, also opens in the UK off the coast of Suffolk.
The facility is called Greater Gabbard, and it has 140 turbines that are located over an area of 36000 acres. The number of turbines will double in size, once the Galloper wind farm extension is completed in 2017. Although the wind farm has been operational since September 2012, the “official opening” of the wind farm was held this week.
Greater Gabbard has been a pioneering project for the UK offshore wind industry. For many years it was the largest wind farm under development world-wide and was the first to be sited more than 12 miles offshore. It continues to be the furthest from shore and, in depths of up to 34 meters (approx. 110 feet), is in the deepest water of any commercial UK offshore wind asset.
Over 8 million working hours were spent developing and constructing the project. Construction commenced in 2008 and was completed in September 2012.
According to the UK Government, offshore wind has the potential to provide enough clean power for 11 million homes in the UK by the end of this decade, creating 30,000 jobs and contributing over $10 billion to the economy.
Energy and Business Minister Michael Fallon said:
“The UK leads the world in offshore wind power generation with more capacity than the rest of the world combined, and we want to see this sector grow even further.”
