€2 billion worth contracts awarded for world's largest wind farm

Denmark's state-owned group DONG Energy, Germany's E.ON and Abu Dhabi green energy investment firm Masdar, yesterday said that  they had awarded €2 billion worth of contracts for the construction of the first phase of the London Array, the world's largest offshore wind farm.

The London Array, in which DONG Energy has a 50-per cent stake, E.ON 30 per cent and Masdar 20 per cent, will be built around 20km off the coasts of Kent and Essex and once complete, will be the world's first and largest 1-GW offshore wind farm.

Sited in the Thames Estuary, the 1,000 megawatt wind farm project, will supply enough power for around 750,000 homes - or a quarter of Greater London homes - and displace the emission of 1.9 million tonnes of CO2 every year.

The consortium of London Array have awarded contracts totalling almost €2 billion to seven European suppliers, which will be responsible for providing the components and expertise needed to construct the first 630MW phase of the project.

Offshore work is scheduled to start early in 2011 with phase one construction finished by the end of 2012.

The largest contract, worth around €1 billion, was signed in May 2009 with Siemens Wind Power, who will be supplying 175 turbines for the first phase of the project. Each will be rated at 3.6MW, be fitted with the new Siemens 120m rotor and have a hub height of 87m above sea level. Siemens Wind Power has also entered into a warranty and five year turbine servicing contract.