News

Monday 10 May 2010

Work begins on £500m windfarm near Walney

The start of the £500m Ormonde Windfarm comes only weeks after work began on the £1bn Walney Offshore Windfarm for the Danish state energy firm Dong.

Ormonde, which will supply electricity to 100,000 homes and create about 25 full-time jobs in Barrow for operation and maintenance, is being built 10km offshore for the Swedish state energy firm, Vattenfall.

Anders Dahl, who heads Vattenfall’s offshore windfarm operations around the world, said: “We are delighted to announce we have begun construction of our latest UK-based windfarm.

“The Ormonde Offshore Windfarm had its first foundation piles installed at the weekend.

“The construction work is due for completion during 2011 and first power is expected later that year.”

The windfarm has just 30 turbines but their five megawatts of power mean they are the most powerful to be erected at sea anywhere in the world so far.

The Dong windfarm has 102 giant turbine towers, each of 3.5 megawatts of power.

When both schemes are complete, there will be 162 turbines off Walney, including the 30 turbines built four miles off the island four years ago. They are half owned by Dong and half by British firm Centrica.

A further 140 turbines are set to be built off Furness in two years’ time, making a total of 300.

While Dong is using Barrow and Mostyn in North Wales as the main ports for the work, Vattenfall is using Belfast.

But the company is investing around £2m building a new control, operations and maintenance centre in Barrow docks, and installing pontoons in Walney Channel for service boats.

Piles for the foundations of special four-legged platforms needed for the Ormonde turbines and towers have been shipped in to Barrow.

Vattenfall says it will look for further opportunities to use Furness companies and facilities.

A large offshore electric sub station platform to modulate the current is being fitted out for Ormonde at Barrow docks.

Mr Dahl said Ormonde would make significant use of Barrow, including for crew changes and transfers during construction.

Of permanent jobs, he said Vattenfall and turbine makers RE Power would between them need up to 25 people although the final figure is not known yet.

He said Belfast is being used as the major base port because a larger harbour is required for the pre-assembly of the turbines.

Of Barrow’s involvement he said: “There will be a lot of people being shipped back and forth daily. There will be quite a bit of activity at Barrow.”

Mr Dahl said the UK’s commitment to offshore wind and combating climate change was “the best in Europe.”

He said: “There is a very strong commitment from all parties in the UK.”

Chris Clouter, operations manager at Barrow port said of the new work: “It is a good thing obviously because it is bringing extra business to the port.”

Source: North West Evening Mail 

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