U.K. Blyth Offshore Project Tests Cutting Edge Technologies

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Work has begun on a new offshore windfarm off the coast of Northumberland, England, designed to demonstrate cutting edge technologies.

The Blyth Offshore Wind Demonstration Project, located 5.7 kilometres off the north east coast of England, will have a generating capacity of up to 100 megawatts (MW) when fully completed. Onshore work has started, with offshore installation due to begin next year. The first phase, amounting to 41.5 MW, will be capable of powering up to 33,000 homes when it goes live in 2018. It will use five next generation V164-8.0 turbines, rated at 8.3 MW each, from MHI Vestas Wind Systems A/S (OMX:VWS) (Aarhus, Denmark). A second phase will follow with the installation of up to 60 MW of generating capacity using different turbines, yet to be decided.

The project is wholly owned by EDF Energies Nouvelles (Paris, France) but will be built by EDF Energy Renewables, a 50-50 U.K. joint venture between EDF Energies Nouvelles and EDF Energy. Alongside newer turbine technology, the Blyth project will also allow the developer to test a number of new construction and transmission technologies.

EDF said the project will be the first to use 66-kilovolt (kV) cable technology, which will be installed by VMBS (Papendrecht, Netherlands), which specialises in subsea power cable installation. The standard voltage for cables is 33 kV but with the advent of larger turbines, higher specification cabling is needed, the company said.

The Royal BAM Group (BAMNB:EN) (Bunnik, Netherlands) has been contracted to supply new concrete gravity base foundations, the first of their kind to be built in the world. They will be deployed using a new installation method called "float and sink." The foundations will be designed and built by Royal BAM Group in the Neptune dry dock on the Tyne and will then be floated and sunk in position using tugs.

"As a company, we already have a strong presence in the North East, in low carbon electricity generation and serving customers including our first offshore wind farm at Teesside, so we're pleased to be able to add another project to our portfolio in the region" said Matthieu Hue, EDF Energy Renewables chief executive officer. "We are delighted that the gravity based foundations will be made in Newcastle. The Port of Blyth will be used for operations and maintenance, and the blades for the turbines will be made on the Isle of Wight."

Jens Tommerup, chief executive officer of MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, commented: "Blyth will be the first offshore project which MHI Vestas and EDF Energy Renewables will install together, and we look forward to partnering on an innovative project where the latest technologies will be tested."

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