Milestone for Triton Knoll as first wind turbine spins into action
9.5MW TURBINE TOPS THE LIST AS SCALE KEEPS ON BUILDING IN BURGEONING GREEN ENERGY INDUSTRY
It’s fantastic to see Triton Knoll generating clean renewable electricity for the first time. I would like to thank the entire project team and all our supply chain partners for achieving this milestone safely and on time despite the significant challenges presented by the global pandemic Julian Garnsey, RWE’s project director for Triton Knoll
TRITON Knoll has generated electricity for the first time. The latest offshore wind farm build off the Lincolnshire coast is now sending renewable power ashore, as the construction continues on the Grimsby-anchored multi-billion pound investment.
The first of the project’s 90 wind turbines was installed in January - at 9.5MW the largest yet - and the successful energisation of the project’s transmission system including the offshore substation platforms, offshore export cable, onshore cables and onshore substation.
Julian Garnsey, RWE’s project director for Triton Knoll, said: “It’s fantastic to see Triton Knoll generating clean renewable electricity for the first time. I would like to thank the entire project team and all our supply chain partners for achieving this milestone safely and on time despite the significant challenges presented by the global pandemic.”
All blades, nacelles and tower sections are being handled at Able Seaton Port; a specialist Teesside turbine construction base established and prepared for offshore wind project usage by Triton Knoll and Vestas - having expressed interest in the firm’s North Killingholme facility which has not yet been realised. Installation is being carried out by Deme, using the jack-up vessel Wind Osprey, provided by Cadeler. Flemming Ougaard, senior vicepresident and head of global offshore and construction at Vestas, said: “We are delighted that our V164-9.5 MW turbines are now generating first power at Triton Knoll. This project is a key milestone for Vestas, as we are installing some of the first 9.5 MW turbines off the UK coast with blades supplied from our Isle of Wight and Fawley facilities. With preassembly taking place at Able Seaton Port as well, this project is truly delivering for the UK, and powering UK homes with clean, offshore wind energy.”
Triton Knoll will have a maximum installed capacity of 857MW. Once fully operational it will be the most powerful in the RWE global fleet, capable of powering the equivalent of more than 800,000 UK homes. That is done via grid connection near Boston, with cables hitting landfall at Anderby Creek, between Mablethorpe and Skegness. The project is located over 32 kilometres off there, with a turbine array that covers an area of 145 sq km, an area bigger than Manchester. It is jointly owned by RWE, J-Power and Kansai Electric Power, with RWE managing the construction, long-term operation and maintenance works, on behalf of its project partners.
It is the seventh to emerge as part of the Grimsby operations and maintenance cluster, with Humber Gateway also in the fleet there.
With Orsted’s Hornsea Two also in construction, when complete the town will be responsible for virtually 5GW of the UK’s offshore wind capacity, with more to follow.