European renewables group RWE has awarded a wind turbine contract to Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) for its recently announced 1.4GW Sofia offshore wind farm.
Sited on the shallow central area of the North Sea, known as Dogger Bank, the £3 billion-project is predicted to produce energy for more than 1.2 million homes every year.
A total of 100 turbines are set to be deployed in the project and it will mark the first time SGRE installs its 14MW ‘Direct Drive’ offshore wind turbines, whose blades it is claimed to be more than six times longer than the first offshore wind turbine blades ever installed.
Marc Becker, Chief Executive Officer of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit, said: “The UK is the world’s largest offshore wind market, so it is appropriate that it should be the first to install the world’s largest turbine in production.”
Sven Utermöhlen, Chief Operating Officer Wind Offshore Global for RWE Renewables, said: “The fact that our largest offshore wind project will utilise the most innovative and technologically advanced turbines, demonstrates RWE’s continued ambition to be a trailblazer at the forefront of the offshore wind sector.”