london array wind farm case study

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Wind energy contribution to the sustainable development goals: case study on london array.

1. Introduction

2. wind energy, 3. sustainable development goals, 3.1. renewable energy and sdgs, 3.2. wind energy role in achieving the sustainable development goals (sdgs).

• Impact on the environment: Wind energy has several impacts on the environment, including habitat destruction, noise pollution, and aesthetic degradation. The number of birds and bats that are killed by wind turbines, the distance between turbines and homes or other sensitive receptors, and the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during the manufacture and transportation of wind energy components are some of the indicators that can be used to evaluate these factors.
• Economic viability: The economic viability of wind energy can be evaluated by taking into consideration a number of factors, including the cost of the energy that is produced, the amount of subsidies that are required, and the return on investment.
• Acceptability to society: The level of community involvement in wind energy projects, public attitudes toward wind energy, and the potential for conflict with other land uses are some of the factors that can be used to evaluate the acceptability of wind energy to society.
• Maturity in terms of technology: The technological maturity of wind energy can be evaluated by considering a number of factors, including the dependability of wind turbines, the effectiveness of energy production, and the possibility of further technological advancements in the near future.

3.3. Case Study: London Array Wind Farm

• No waste or pollution generated from the plant.
• Relatively inexpensive to create.
• Significant energy produced.
• Reduce carbon emissions by a huge amount in terms of carbon tons.
• Assists the UK in attaining the EU’s 15% renewable energy goal by 2020.
• Local work prospects during the plant’s development and life cycle.
• A massive number of turbines are required to generate a considerable amount of electricity.
• The unpredictable output of the wind turbines, which are affected by wind speed.
• Disruption to marine life.
• Disruption to seabird existence in that location.
• Disturbance to local fishing grounds.
• SDG 1: No poverty. The building and ongoing operation of the London Array wind farm has created employment and other economic possibilities, both of which can contribute to the regional economy’s expansion and growth. In addition, the project has offered financing for community projects via its community fund, which has funded efforts such as education about renewable energy and energy efficiency upgrades for local homes. Moreover, the project has provided funding for community projects. These activities may enhance the economic and social well-being of disadvantaged communities, which can contribute to decreasing poverty in such places.
• SDG 3: Good health and well-being. London Array may assist in minimizing the effects of climate change on human health by lowering the emissions of greenhouse gases. Human health is susceptible to being negatively impacted by climate change in various ways, including increasing temperatures, severe weather events, and other effects. In addition, the decrease in air pollution that results from using wind energy may have a beneficial effect on human health. This is especially true for more susceptible groups, such as children, the elderly, and those who already have one or more preexisting health concern.
• SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy. London Array generates electricity from a renewable energy source, wind, which is considered to be more sustainable and less polluting than fossil fuels such as coal and oil. By providing clean electricity, the London Array helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, which is a key target of this goal.
• SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth. According to London Array’s website, the wind farm has supported the creation of over 3000 jobs, with over 60% of the work going to UK-based companies.
• SDG 9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure: The London Array is a large-scale infrastructure project that requires significant investment and innovation in designing and constructing the wind turbines and offshore substation. The project has also supported the development of the offshore wind industry in the United Kingdom.
• SDG 13: Climate action. As a large offshore wind farm, the London Array is expected to offset approximately 1.9 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, making it a significant contributor to climate action.
• SDG 14: Life below water. London Array generates electricity from a renewable energy source, wind, which is considered to be more sustainable and less polluting than fossil fuels such as coal and oil. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions, London Array can help mitigate climate change’s impacts on the oceans, which is a major threat to marine life. In addition, London Array has supported offshore wind energy development, which may help reduce the demand for fossil fuels and potentially reduce the negative impacts of offshore oil and gas development on marine ecosystems.
• SDG 15: Life on land: London Array can help mitigate the effects of climate change on land-based ecosystems and biodiversity by reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. These ecosystems and species are in danger because of rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and other effects of climate change. In addition, London Array has contributed to the development of offshore wind energy, which may help to reduce the demand for fossil fuels and may help to reduce the negative impacts of the extraction and use of fossil fuels on land-based ecosystems.

3.4. Sustainability Indicators

• Improving the reputation of the company and the image of its brand. Businesses can show their commitment to social and environmental responsibility, as well as attract consumers and stakeholders that place a value on sustainability, by aligning their business practices with the SDGs.
• Companies that address the risks and opportunities presented by sustainability are better prepared to withstand economic and social challenges such as natural disasters, resource constraints, and shifting consumer preferences. These companies have taken steps to reduce risks and increase their resilience.
• SDGs provide a framework that businesses can use to identify and address unmet needs in areas such as healthcare, education, and renewable energy, which can lead to the development of new products and services. One of the benefits of the SDGs is that they create new business opportunities.
• Capacity factor: This is a measure of the efficiency of the wind turbines and was an important KPI for the London Array project because it determined the overall energy output of the wind farm. The capacity factor can be calculated by dividing the total energy output of the wind farm by the total number of wind turbines.
• Accessibility: This metric quantifies the proportion of time that the wind turbines were online and able to produce electricity. In order to achieve the highest possible energy output from the London Array, it was essential to guarantee high availability.
• Maintenance expenses: The London Array required regular maintenance to ensure its continued operation and shorten the amount of time it was offline. As one of the KPIs for the project, the costs of maintenance were closely monitored.
• Production costs: The cost of making electricity was an important KPI because it had a direct effect on the project’s ability to make money. The goal was to maintain a high level of production efficiency while minimizing the costs of production.
• Impact on the environment: The London Array was developed to have as little of an effect as possible on the local wildlife and the surrounding environment. The environmental impact of the project was measured and monitored with the help of KPIs.
• Health and safety: It was of the utmost importance that the health and safety of the workers involved in the construction and maintenance of the wind farm be kept in the highest regard. KPIs were utilized in the process of monitoring and ensuring the workers’ safety.
• Timeline for the project: The London Array was a big, complicated job, and the timeline for finishing it was carefully monitored and managed. KPIs were utilized in order to monitor progress and guarantee that the project would be finished on schedule.
• SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy: ○ Capacity factor: The ratio of the actual electricity generated by the wind farm to the theoretical maximum output if the wind turbines were operating at full capacity all the time. The capacity factor of the London Array is equal to 38.3%, (from https://energynumbers.info/uk-offshore-wind-capacity-factors , accessed on 2 January 2023). ○ Availability: The percentage of time that the wind turbines are able to generate electricity, taking into account planned and unplanned maintenance, equipment failures, and other factors that could cause the turbines to be offline ○ Production: The total amount of electricity generated by the wind farm over a specific period of time, such as a month or a year. The nameplate capacity of the London Array is equal to 630 MW and the annual net output is 3100 GWh, (from https://londonarray.com/ , accessed on 2 January 2023).
• SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth ○ Revenue: The income generated by the sale of electricity. London Array’s estimated annual revenue is currently $ 8.2M per year, (from https://growjo.com/company/London_Array , accessed on 2 January 2023).
• SDG 13: Climate action and SDG 15: Life on land ○ Carbon emissions avoided: The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that is achieved by generating electricity from the wind farm instead of fossil fuel sources. The total carbon emission avoided was 925,000 tons of CO2.

4. Conclusions

Author contributions, conflicts of interest.

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Share and Cite

Olabi, A.G.; Obaideen, K.; Abdelkareem, M.A.; AlMallahi, M.N.; Shehata, N.; Alami, A.H.; Mdallal, A.; Hassan, A.A.M.; Sayed, E.T. Wind Energy Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals: Case Study on London Array. Sustainability 2023 , 15 , 4641. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054641

Olabi AG, Obaideen K, Abdelkareem MA, AlMallahi MN, Shehata N, Alami AH, Mdallal A, Hassan AAM, Sayed ET. Wind Energy Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals: Case Study on London Array. Sustainability . 2023; 15(5):4641. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054641

Olabi, A. G., Khaled Obaideen, Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem, Maryam Nooman AlMallahi, Nabila Shehata, Abdul Hai Alami, Ayman Mdallal, Asma Ali Murah Hassan, and Enas Taha Sayed. 2023. "Wind Energy Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals: Case Study on London Array" Sustainability 15, no. 5: 4641. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054641

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Wind Energy Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals: Case Study on London Array

Clean and safe energy sources are essential for the long-term growth of society. Wind energy is rapidly expanding and contributes to many countries’ efforts to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. In terms of sustainable development goals (SDGs), renewable energy development promotes energy security while also facilitating community development and environmental conservation on a global scale. In this context, the current article aims to investigate wind energy’s role within the SDGs. Furthermore, the present study highlights the role of the London Array wind farm in achieving the SDGs. Indeed, deploying clean and economical energy sources in place of conventional fossil fuel power plants provides vital insights into environmental impacts. The London Array operation is saving approximately 1 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) equivalent. Furthermore, the London Array contributes to the achievement of multiple SDGs, including SDG 8: decent employment and economic growth; SDG 9: industry, innovation, and infrastructure; SDG 11: sustainable cities and communities; and SDG 15: life on land. To enhance the London Array’s contribution to the SDGs, a total of 77 indicators (key performance indicators) were proposed and compared to the current measurements that have been carried out. The results showed that the London Array used most of the suggested indicators without classifying them from the SDGs’ perspective. The proposed indicators will help cut operation costs, mitigate climate change and environmental damage, improve employee engagement and morale, reduce learning gaps, set goals and plans, and use resources efficiently.

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Civil & structural, energy & environment, the big project: london array.

The world’s largest offshore wind farm is currently under construction in the Thames Estuary

Of all the components that will make up the UK’s new energy landscape in the coming decades, wind is perhaps the most contentious. Supporters and opponents are seemingly entrenched in their positions, with the intermittency of wind being the biggest stumbling block to the acceptance of wind turbines and farms.

For the supporters of wind energy, the potential of offshore wind is the trump card; stronger, more sustained in magnitude and direction, and much less intermittent than onshore wind, the wind out to sea is said to offer real possibilities for the reliable generation of renewable power.

But it’s far more difficult to build off shore than on shore, and, as yet, there are no really large offshore wind farms. The current largest is Walney Island, off the coast of Cumbria, whose 102 turbines have a combined capacity of 367.2MW and power some 320,000 homes in the north west. Even that is a newcomer to the UK’s energy mix, coming on stream less than a fortnight before The Engineer went to press.

But Walney is fairly modest in size. A far larger installation, billed by its developers as the world’s first truly industrial-scale wind farm, is currently under construction. The London Array, sited in the outer Thames Estuary between the Kent and Essex coasts, will have a generating capacity of 1,000MW, making it the first wind farm to have a capacity comparable to a land-based power station; for comparison, the Sizewell B nuclear power station has a capacity of almost 1,200MW.

The site for the London Array is between two bastions of the British seaside resort, Margate and Clacton, around seven miles off the shore and in water up to 25m deep. Covering an area of about 230km2 (90 square miles),  the array will, when complete, consist of 341 separate turbines, each with a capacity of 3.6MW.

The story of the London Array began in 2001, when a survey of the estuary identified the area as being suitable for a large wind farm, having high wind speeds; a range of water depths suitable for turbine installation; nearby ports for construction, operation and maintenance; suitable ground conditions; an accessible high-voltage network connection; and, not least, a ready demand for electricity. When complete and fully online, the array will generate enough electricity for 750,000 homes, its developers claim, which is about a quarter of Greater London’s population.

The developers, themselves called London Array, are a joint venture company 50 per cent owned by DONG Energy, Denmark’s biggest energy company, which is itself 76 per cent owned by the Danish government.  A further 30 per cent is owned by E.On Renewables and 20 per cent by Masdar, the Abu Dhabi state-owned renewable energy company.

The site for the London Array is between two bastions of the British seaside resort, Margate and Clacton, around seven miles off the shore

Originally, the venture was shared equally between DONG, E.On  and Shell WindPower, but the Anglo-Dutch oil giant pulled out in 2008, preferring to boost its investment in onshore wind farms in the US. The remaining two partners bought out equal parts of Shell’s stake, but the project was in doubt for some months until Masdar came on the scene, buying a proportion of E.ON’s share.

The project is proceeding in two phases. In the first, which is currently well under way, 175 turbines are being installed in a 100km2 area, between 650m and 1km apart. These will send power to two offshore substations and a new offshore substation at Cleve Hill, near Graveney in Kent. Connecting the turbines to substations are 200km of array cables, buried in the seabed, while 220km of export cabling takes the power from the offshore stations to Cleve Hill. London Array claims that Phase 1’s 630MW of power will displace more than 925,000 tonnes of CO2 a year, equivalent to taking more than 289,000 cars off the road.

As The Engineer went to press, 133 of the turbine foundations had been installed, with 54 of the turbine installations complete. Both of the offshore substations had been installed and commissioned, with 41 of the array cables connecting the turbines to the export cables laid and two of the export cables in place.

The second phase, consisting of a further 370MW of capacity from 126 turbines, is currently awaiting studies of its effect on bird life, according to project director Richard Rigg.

As with any project of this size, the London Array is a collaboration between a number of suppliers from different nations. The main contractors for Phase 1 are Siemens Wind Power, supplying the turbines, each of which is fitted with a 120m rotor; ABJV, a joint venture between Par Arrsleff and Bilfinger Berger, specialist Danish companies, is supplying the foundations and the transition pieces that connect them  to the turbine assemblies and is also handling their installation; four vessels, the jack-up barges MPI Adventure , A2SEA Sea Worker and MPI Discovery and Ballast Nedam’s heavy lift vessel (HLV) Svanen, which is designed specifically to transport heavy, pre-cast concrete structures from shore to sea, are working on the installation procedure.

The offshore substations have been built by Future Energy, a joint venture of three companies — Fabricom, Iemants and Geosea — with electrical equipment coming from Siemens Transmission and Distribution (T&D), which is the main contractor for the Cleve Hill onshore substation.

The vital cable links, using 150kV export cable, come from Norwegian specialist Nexans; the 33kV array cables are supplied by JDR Cable System, an Anglo-Dutch company based in Hartlepool. Both sets of cables are installed by Visser and Smit Marine Contracting, along with Global Marine Systems.

The Operations and Maintenance base, at the Port of Ramsgate, which opened in March, was designed by BBLB Architects. Housing 70 technicians and 20 support staff and acting as a base for five maintenance vessels, the building was itself designed along environmental lines. The Cleve Hill substation, work on which began in 2009, was designed by the London-based RMJM architecture practice and, in keeping with its coastal location, is designed to look like a row of beach huts (although the resemblance is somewhat impressionistic).

The foundations for the turbines are monopiles — long, cylindrical tubes weighing 650 tonnes and measuring up to 68m tall and 5.7m wide. These are pounded into the seabed using hydraulic hammers mounted on the jack-up barges using a ‘soft-start’ process, designed to allow marine mammals to move away from the process before the noise and vibration  build up to full power.

The offshore substations are, lke the turines, mounted on monopiles and transition pieces, but are far larger structures than the turbines

The transition pieces, which provide the platform for the wind turbine itself, also vary in size because of the different seabed conditions and water depths. Up to  28m in height, they weigh 245–345 tonnes and are grouted in place  onto the monopiles.

Designing these structures was a somewhat fraught process. The original design chosen for the array was found to be flawed in 2009; consisting of a parallel-sided transition piece fitted on top of the steel tube of the monopile, with the gap between the two filled with cement grouting, concerns arose when almost two thirds of the 948 turbines installed so far were found to have shifted within their foundations. The problem turned out to be that the turbines were constantly bending, which crushed the grout at the top and the bottom, leading to them sliding around. The Norwegian classification organisation that had originally recommended the design, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), carried out additional studies and proposed an alternative design with conical connections within the grouted section that compensate for the forces that act upon the structure while in operation.

Although DNV has approved the new design, London Array is not taking chances; Rigg said that monitoring systems are being installed, including rulers to make any slippage apparent and accelerometers to pick up unexpected turbine movement.

The offshore substations are, like the turbines, mounted on monopiles and transition pieces, but are far larger structures than the turbines. With three stories measuring 22m in height and weighing 1,260 tonnes each, the substations measure 25 x 23m and contain two 180 MVA transformers, which step up the voltage from the turbines from 33kV to 150kV before exporting it, via Nexans cables, to Cleve Hill. There, further generators will boost it to 400kV, the voltage at which it can be fed into the National Grid.

This was where the HLV came in. Another HLV, Rambiz ,took the topside structures from Belgium, where they were built, and lifted  them into place atop the oversized transition pieces. ‘We should never underplay the difficulties of working off shore, especially when we’re using a 3,300-tonne-lifting-capacity crane,’ said Rigg. ‘But it’s fair to say that everything went swimmingly.’

Phase 1 of the London Array, costed and currently on budget at €2.25bn (£1.95bn), is on schedule, with construction due to be completed by the end of this year and commissioning set to take place immediately afterwards. According to Rigg, the first turbines could be energised by the end of next January.

Habitat impact

A large population of small seabirds is holding  up the second phase of the wind farm project

Naturally, any project this size  out to sea has to contend with environmental problems. But in the case of the London Array, one of the biggest turned out to be small, feathery and fond of fish.

The red-throated diver is a small seabird, which, before a set of surveys that started in 1996, was thought to be confined to the Scottish coast. However, one of the largest concentrations of the birds in Europe — more than 10,000 — was found to be over- wintering in the Thames Estuary.

‘I don’t think anyone expected the number of red-throated divers that we found,’ Rigg said. But the presence of the birds is currently holding up the second phase of the London Array project.

Rigg has a team in place monitoring the divers as part of the consent conditions for Phase 2; this depends on how the birds cope over winter during and after construction of the farm. The team is also doing research into the behaviour of the divers and suitable habitats for them, all of which will be submitted to the Royal Society for the Protection  of Birds and Natural England.

The discovery of the divers  led to the government deciding to exclude any offshore wind farm developments in water  less than 10m deep. And, for  the moment, the humble red- throated diver remains the main threat to the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

Supplier focus

The array’s wind turbines, supplied by Siemens, sweep out an area the size of two football pitches

The London Array’s wind turbines are Siemens SWT-3.6-120 units, developed specifically for offshore applications. Based on an earlier model but with  a larger rotor, the turbine  sweeps out an area of 11,300m3  — equivalent to two football pitches. This, according to the company, indicates that the turbines will generate 10 per cent more electricity than similarly rated machines.

The rotor blades — each  one 58.5m long — are cast from fibreglass-reinforced epoxy in a single piece and are equipped with independent pitching mechanisms to make the best use of prevailing wind conditions. These are attached to a cast  iron hub, which is itself mounted on a hollow alloy-steel shaft. A three-stage, planetary-helical gearbox transfers torque to the generator, which is designed for high efficiency at partial loads.

London Array is one of six offshore wind projects that Siemens is working on with DONG, and the company has in excess of 3GW of installed wind power capacity within the UK.

‘The potential of the industry to create jobs, stimulate the supply chain and regenerate the economic landscape is huge,’ said Matthew Chinn, Siemens Energy UK’s chief executive.

Reaching the 3GW milestone during a recession ‘is a sign of the potential of the industry’,  he added.

The 3.6MW turbine is not the limit of Siemens’ ambitions. Like many wind energy companies, Siemens is working on higher-capacity offshore units and has recently unveiled a 6MW turbine.

With rotors measuring up to 154m in diameter (although it  can also use the 120m rotor),  the turbine replaces the main shaft, gearbox and high-speed generator with a direct-drive low-speed generator, which is claimed to reduce the need for maintenance and to make the towerhead unit light — less than 60 tonnes/MW of capacity.

Moreover, enclosing the entire electrical system inside the nacelle means pre-commissioning testing can be carried out at the quayside, reducing the need for offshore work.

Nexans’ contract to supply London Array with export cables is worth some €100m (£80m) to the Norwegian cable specialist.

The company is currently designing, manufacturing and supplying the cables, which  are being made at its plant  in Halden.

Each of the four cables is 53–54m long, containing three copper core conductors along with optical fibres for data transmission, so that the performance of the turbines can be monitored from the operations centre in Ramsgate. These will also allow some maintenance to be carried out remotely.

Installing the cables has been no mean feat. Some of the seabed is London clay, a difficult material in which to bury cables, while elsewhere there is soft sand and uneven surfaces.

Moreover, the relatively shallow waters mean that the weather is a big issue; the laying of the second of the export cables was delayed in January of this year owing to bad weather. Extra cable-laying vessels, capable of operating in shallow water, had to be called in.

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Operations and maintenance for the London Array offshore wind farm

How we're inspecting and maintaining an offshore wind farm that generates enough energy to power more than 470,000 homes..

Our newest project involves crane, lift and turbine-mounted safety equipment inspection and maintenance services for all 175 3.6 megawatts (MW) turbines at Siemens’ London Array offshore wind farm, situated off the south east coast of England. 

At 630 MW, this wind farm generates enough energy to power more than 470,000 homes and reduces over 900,000 tonnes of CO 2  every year. That’s equivalent to removing emissions from approximately 300,000 cars annually. 

“We are working on projects that allow even larger  offshore wind  farms to integrate into our current and future energy systems,” said Dr Paul Ebert, Group Director, Sustainability and Energy Transition Leadership. “This includes massive projects that generate both electricity and green hydrogen. Green hydrogen can be used to store energy and then can be used to decarbonize difficult to abate industries.” 

This sector is experiencing significant growth with an estimated 418 gigawatts of offshore wind projects to be installed globally by 2040. This equates to the installation of around 80,000 wind turbines.

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homes can be powered by this wind farm

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London Array offshore windfarm

Thames Estuary, United Kingdom

Project achievements

Environment benefitted

Wind power replaces the need to burn coal and so cuts carbon levels.

Solved the problem

Replace the need for traditional, fossil fuel based power supply.

Used engineering skill

Build one of the world’s largest windfarms out in the middle of the sea.

Design, build and install a landmark windfarm way out to sea in the Thames Estuary

The London Array is a 175 turbine offshore windfarm 20km off the coast of Kent in the outer Thames Estuary. It's the largest operational offshore windfarm in the world. Its 630MW output makes it the largest windfarm in Europe by capacity.

The project is seen as a landmark event for the world's renewable energy industry and credited with paving the way for a new generation of bigger windfarms.

Phase 1 of the project opened in 2013. Phase 2 was denied planning permission in 2014 amid concerns about the impact on red-throated divers – a protected aquatic bird found in the area.

The windfarm is called the London Array as the power it produces goes to the London grid.

Jonathan Duffy, General Manager, London Array Ltd talks about delivering clean energy. One of the outstanding projects delivering this clean energy is the London Array wind farm in the Thames Estuary. It has 175 turbines over an area of 100km2, making it the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

Difference the windfarm has made

The London Array produces enough power for nearly 500,000 homes in the UK every year. That's enough to supply two thirds of homes in Kent.

By producing clean energy the project reduces pollution and other environmental damage associated with using fossil fuels to produce electricity.

The windfarm reduces harmful CO2 emissions by more than 925,000 tonnes a year.

How the London Array was installed

Built over 2 years, 1,000 people worked on the London Array to build 175 turbines and 2 offshore substations. The team also laid 250km of cables over the project's 95 working days.

Weather and sea conditions in the Thames Estuary were major challenges for engineers working on the London Array. The area can be windy and depending on tides the sea can be up to 25m deep.

The turbines are big - taller than the London Eye - and the tide and weather had to be just right when lifting them and their foundations into place.

The project team constructed much of the windfarm on land. The substations, for example, were built and fitted out in Belgium and then floated to the Thames Estuary by barge.

Generators for the windfarm were installed using a jack-up barge – a boat fitted with long support legs that can be raised or lowered. At the construction site the legs are jacked down on the sea floor and the hull – and its load – are raised above sea level. This means waves push against the relatively slender legs and not the bulkier hull.

The largest individual items for engineers to get into place were the 2 offshore substations. Each weighed around 1,250 tonnes, about the same as 200 African elephants.

People who made it happen

• Designed and built by energy companies EON, Ørsted and Masdar.
• Substations designed and built by Future Energy, a consortium of engineers Fabricom, construction company Lemants and marine engineers Geosea.

More about this project

• londonarray.com

• Case Studies

LONDON ARRAY WIND FARM, FAVERSHAM, KENT

Our Role: Main Contractor for Enabling and Civil Engineering Works. London Array offshore wind-farm has a total of 341 wind turbines located 19km off the Kent coast. The onshore sub-station is situated near Faversham, Kent. The enabling works involved the establishment of welfare facilities for the entire project and the formation of the sub-station platform & roads. Over 175,000 m³ of material was excavated and re-engineered for fill and landscaping, thus minimising the need for importation.

The main civil engineering phase included construction and operational handover of:

• 6 reinforced concrete transformer bunds and associated GIS switchgear foundations
• Concrete PODs containing the reactors
• Harmonic filter bases
• Concrete placement totalling 10,000 m³
• A 110m long x 10m high stainless steel architectural wall, to screen the site
• Drainage and ductwork totalling 20km and including a 250 m³ underground tank
• A two-storey building to house the offices, battery rooms, SCADA rooms and plant rooms
• Security fencing

“The Siemens Project Team and their end-user client, London Array, have praised not only the facility created but also the team work that went into it. The on-shore substation…was awarded the ICE South East England Winners of the prestigious Thomas Brassey Award 2012 for Engineering Excellence. Trant played a crucial role during design and construction and their attention to detail, health and safety and quality was commendable…” –Derek Dutton Engineering Manager, Siemens

Overall Winner ‘Thomas Brassey Award’ – ICE Engineering Excellence Awards

Please contact Colin Monaghan on +44 (0) 2380 665544 or [email protected]

Walham 400 kv substation, flood defence scheme, pembroke refinery, exxonmobil, fawley refinery & uk terminals, senoko oil fuel depot, buncefield aviation fuel terminal, case studies (london array wind farm, faversham, kent).

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As the leading online publication serving the infrastructure investment market, IJGlobal is read daily by decision-makers within investment banks, international law firms, advisory firms, institutional investors and governments.

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World’s largest offshore wind farm generates first power

DONG Energy, E.ON and Masdar today (29/10/12) announced that the first power had been produced at the London Array Offshore Wind Farm.

The 630MW scheme, located in the Thames Estuary, will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm.  The development has been under construction since March 2011 and 151 of the 175 turbines have now been installed, with construction on scheudle to be finished by the end of the year.

The 175 turbines will produce enough power to supply over 470,000 UK homes with electricity.

Laura Sandys, MP Thanet South, said: “Locally we are extremely pleased that London Array is now producing energy for homes across the South East. We are very proud that London Array is based in Thanet and that we are host to the largest offshore wind farm in the world.  To have a world class wind farm maintained from Ramsgate is great for the local community and local business. We very much hope that the company will be able to realise its plans to develop Phase Two adding an additional 240MW”

Benj Sykes, Wind UK Country Manager at DONG Energy, said : “With its 630 MW the London Array project will be the first of the next generation of larger offshore wind farms and we are pleased to have reached first power. Being able to efficiently develop large offshore wind farms and harvest the scale advantages in both construction and operation is an important element in our continuous efforts to bring down costs of energy of offshore wind.”

Dr. Tony Cocker, CEO of E.ON UK, said : “This is not only a very important milestone for the London Array development but also a major landmark for the global renewables sector.  We firmly believe that electricity from renewable sources has a vital part to play in helping us to deliver energy in a way that is sustainable, affordable and secure and this is why we are aiming to reduce the costs of offshore wind by 40% by 2015.”

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar, said : “The London Array offshore wind project is a landmark achievement for Masdar, its partners and the United Kingdom. We are proud to be making a significant contribution to the UK’s renewable energy portfolio and targets. The London Array development is an example of the true potential and commercial viability of renewable energy. It is also a model of the collaboration and action required to implement large-scale clean energy projects in an effort to sustainable meet our growing energy demands.”

London Array is being built around 20km off the coasts of Kent and Essex. The wind farm will be installed on a 245km 2 site and will be built in two phases. Phase One will cover 90km 2 and include 175 turbines with a combined capacity of 630MW. The consortium plans to complete the first phase by the end of 2012. If approved, the second phase will add enough capacity to bring the total to 870MW.

The project consortium partners have the following shareholdings: DONG Energy owns 50%, E.ON has 30% and Masdar has a 20% stake.

Ofgem grants record £459 million transmission assets licence for world's largest offshore wind farm

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Publication date

Industry sector.

• Over £1bn transmission investment secured through Offshore regime to date
• European Investment Bank confirms support, providing half of debt funding
• Cost of running link for consumers a quarter less than previous projects

Ofgem has today appointed Blue Transmission London Array Limited as owners of the high voltage transmission link to the London Array (Phase 1) offshore wind farm. Four bidders competed to own and operate the £459 million transmission link, driving down the final cost for consumers.

The licence grant marks a key milestone for the world’s largest offshore wind farm and the competitive Offshore regime. The regime has led to the cost of running the transmission link being a quarter less than the seven previously completed licence grants. It has also attracted more than £1 billion of investment to the new Offshore transmission sector. 

The Blue Transmission consortium comprising Barclays Infrastructure Funds Management Limited and a UK subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation will now maintain and operate the links for the next 20 years. Ofgem announced them as preferred bidders for the project in September 2012. Half of the debt funding for the purchase was provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB). 

Lord Mogg, Ofgem Chairman, said: "This is a significant milestone. With a value of £459 million, these are the highest value assets to have been tendered under the offshore regime to date, bringing the total value of new investment attracted into the sector to over £1 billion.

“This competitive approach is also benefitting energy consumers. Running this link will cost consumers a quarter less than previous projects.  

“I also welcome ongoing EU support through the European Investment Bank. Their financial support in terms of this project is a further endorsement of the competitive approach that is delivering offshore transmission investment.”

Jonathan Taylor, European Investment Bank Vice-President for the UK, said: “Investment in transmission projects is essential to link sources of renewable energy to the national grid. Today’s agreement brings total EIB support for the London Array scheme, the world’s largest offshore wind farm project, to more than £900 million and demonstrates the strength of the continued partnership with Ofgem. Over the last 5 years the European Investment Bank has provided more than £6 billion for long-term investment in the UK energy sector and is committed to supporting crucial energy investment across Europe.”

-ENDS-  

Notes to editors

1.    The offshore regulatory regime, developed by DECC and Ofgem, was launched in 2009 and uses competitive tendering for licensing offshore electricity transmission. The regime is being delivered in two parts, transitional and enduring. The transitional regime involves two tender rounds, opening the way for transmission licencees to own and operate transmission assets for offshore renewable projects that have been or are being constructed by an offshore generator. Future tenders will fall under the enduring regime, which will enable Ofgem to run tenders for projects where:

• Offshore Transmission Owners (OFTOs), design, build, operate and maintain the transmission assets; or
• Generators build the transmission assets and then transfer them to OFTOs at construction completion.

2.    For more information on the Offshore regime please visit the Ofgem website

3.    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals.

4.    The annual revenue paid to Blue Transmission London Array Limited is a quarter less compared to completed projects in the first tender round when considered as a proportion of the capital value of the transmission assets. 

5.    The London Array (Phase 1) offshore wind farm is a joint venture owned by DONG Energy (50%), E.ON (30%) and Masdar (20%). Located in the outer Thames Estuary, it is currently the world’s largest offshore wind farm. It consists of 175 turbines, with an installed capacity of 630MW, which will provide enough power for nearly half a million homes a year.   6.    This transaction is the first to reach financial close and licence grant in Transitional Tender Round 2a of the Offshore Transmission regime. A total of eight OFTO licences have now been granted by Ofgem across the transitional tender rounds.

7.    Transitional Tender Round 2a comprises three projects – London Array, Lincs and Gwynt y Môr. Press statements on the appointment of preferred bidders for the Lincs and Gwynt y Môr projects are available here: 

• Gwynt y Môr

8.    Ofgem expect the first enduring tender round, Tender Round 3 (TR3), to launch later in 2013.

For further information contact:

Felicity Beverley: 020 7901 3858 Rory Edwards: 020 7901 7246 Out of hours: 07766 511 470

European Investment Bank

Richard Willis: +352 555 758, [email protected] Website: www.eib.org/press - Press office: +352 4379 21000 – [email protected] 

Essential protection for wind energy - London Array

With over 40 years’ experience in the offshore wind energy industry, AkzoNobel and our extensive International® product range have provided essential protection to some of the world’s most exciting offshore wind developments, one being London Array.

With its 175 wind turbines standing taller than the London Eye at 87 meters and covering an offshore area of 100km², London Array, situated in the outer Thames Estuary, upon completion was the second largest offshore wind farm in the world and the largest wind farm in Europe by megawatt capacity (630MW). The size and location of the farm created challenges as the turbines themselves are located across two sand banks with varying conditions.

This case study is an example of how AkzoNobel connects the dots by combining its capabilities in providing specialised wind asset protection, with its extensive portfolio of reliable partners, and technical expertise.

Waves as high as 20 meters

The Challenge

This development is also prone to harsh offshore weather conditions and therefore needed an extremely robust and high performing protective coatings solution. The location has a particularly aggressive splash-zone environment and the physical demands placed on the steel require a high level of protection. Wind farms such as London Array work by harvesting the natural energy present when the wind blows and then using it to generate clean, renewable electricity. This impressive wind farm development produces enough power for nearly half a million UK homes a year, including two-thirds of the homes in Kent, South East England.

Winds in excess of 200 km/h

Our products

The Interzone® 954 and Interthane® 990 coatings from our International® brand are making sure that London Array’s transition pieces are kept in optimum condition, providing essential corrosion protection and long term structural integrity. The robustness and ease of application of Interzone 954 makes it ideally suited for offshore wind turbine transition pieces with proven in field performance. It is a preferred choice globally and has been used across a large number of projects.

Aggressive splash-zone environment

The results

“Since AkzoNobel has extensive experience coating offshore assets, we felt confident in providing products that could cope with the demands placed on steel in these conditions,” said Adam Stephenson, AkzoNobel’s Sales Cluster Manager for UK, Ireland, and Benelux.

“For this specific project, we worked closely with Bladt Industries, who are one of the world’s leading suppliers of Transition Pieces (TPs). They have chosen and still continue to choose our proven products to provide the London Array and other offshore wind energy projects with long term protection.

AkzoNobel is working to ultimately connect the dots of the industry through technical expertise and tip-to-toe solutions, and as a company, we are proud to have supplied protective coatings for this project. Our extensive work in the offshore wind energy market also includes wind farms Alpha Ventus, Greater Gabbard, Beatrice, Hornsea, and Ormonde, a 150MW installation in the Irish Sea.”

With an unparalleled view of the industry, AkzoNobel brings its expertise to every part of your wind energy assets, as seen with the  London Array project. We will guide you from  protective coating selection to application,  techniques and beyond.

Download case study leaflet here

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