Seajacks Scylla has installed the last of the total of 87 wind turbines making up the 659MW Walney Extension offshore wind farm. The project is now set to make the UK home of the world’s largest offshore wind farm for the second time, after it first earned that title with the 630MW London Array in 2013 .
Walney Extension, located off Cumbria, has been built in two phases using turbines from two different manufacturers.
Walney Extension West consists of 40 MHI Vestas 8MW turbines, optimised to deliver a maximum output of 8.25MW each. The East phase comprises 47 Siemens Gamesa 7MW wind turbines and represents the first time this wind turbine was used in the field.
The installation of the last of the 47 Siemens Gamesa turbines marked the completion of the installation work on the project, which will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm once fully operational in the second half of 2018.
Work is now continuing on the commissioning of the turbines and the two substations, according to Ørsted, the developer and owner of half of the project. The remaining half is owned by Danish pension funds PFA (25%) and PKA (25%).
After it becomes fully operational, Walney Extension will be capable of generating enough clean energy to meet the annual electricity demands of more than 500,000 UK homes.