London offshore wind farm begins producing power

The first power from what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm has been produced, it was announced yesterday. Located in the Thames Estuary around 20km off the coasts […]

The first power from what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm has been produced, it was announced yesterday.

Located in the Thames Estuary around 20km off the coasts of Kent and Essex, the 630MW London Array farm has been under construction since March 2011.

It is owned by Danish energy supplier DONG Energy, German energy firm E.ON and Masdar, an Abu Dhabi-based developer.

When it is completed the farm’s 175 turbines will produce enough power to supply over 470,000 UK homes with electricity. If approved, the second phase due to start by the end of 2012 will add enough capacity to bring the total to 870MW.

Benj Sykes, Wind UK Country Manager at DONG Energy, said: “With its 630 MW the London Array project will be the first of the next generation of larger offshore wind farms and we are pleased to have reached first power.”

Dr Tony Cocker, CEO of E.ON UK added: “This is not only a very important milestone for the London Array development but also a major landmark for the global renewables sector.”

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