Turbine commissioning at Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm has been successfully completed. The wind farm, constructed by RWE on behalf the project partners, has reached this milestone on time, overcoming the challenges posed by the global pandemic.
Once fully operational, the power output of Triton Knoll will be 857 megawatts (MW), making it one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms. Standing at 164 meters tall, full operations of the 90 turbines are expected in the first quarter of 2022. Triton Knoll will make an important contribution to the UK’s energy system, generating sufficient electricity to meet the needs of around 800,000 homes each year.
RWE is #2 in the world for offshore wind and is driving the development of the largest offshore wind pipeline in the UK. It has committed to investing €50 billion gross through to 2030 to expand its powerful and green generation capacity to 50 gigawatts, with around £15 billion earmarked for the UK.
Julian Garnsey, Project Director for RWE and Triton Knoll added, “I am very proud of the Triton Knoll team’s achievement in completing the commissioning of the turbines on this nationally significant infrastructure project. The construction team has shown a huge amount of resilience in reaching this milestone. I want to thank our supply chain partners and all those that have worked so hard on our sites to keep the project on track, despite the many challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.”
The project represents an investment of around £2 billion that includes construction of the wind farm and the grid connection. Triton Knoll is jointly owned by RWE (59%), J-Power (25%) and Kansai Electric Power (16%). RWE led the wind farm’s development as well as construction and will also operate and maintain it on behalf of the project partners.
Triton Knoll leaves a strong legacy for the future of wind energy in the region, with the specially constructed Triton Knoll Operations & Maintenance base being expanded to become the new ‘Grimsby Hub’ facility, supporting both existing and future RWE operated projects. This new facility has the potential to create around 60 new, local jobs plus indirect jobs required in support of the facilities. The Hub will enable RWE to strengthen its relationship with the region’s businesses and local communities, by committing to a longer-term presence in the area.
