The testing of the last MHI Vestas 8MW turbine on the Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm was completed this month and the wind farm has been fully commissioned, DONG Energy said.
A2SEA’s jack-up Sea Installer installed the first of the 32 turbines at the site located some 7 kilometres off Liverpool Bay in September 2016, and the final turbine went up in December 2016. The wind farm produced its first power in November 2016.
The 258MW Burbo Bank Extension has now become the first wind farm in the world to use 8MW turbines on a commercial scale.
The wind farm is a joint venture between DONG Energy (50%) and its partners PKA (25%) and KIRKBI A/S (25%).
Burbo Bank Extension and the neighbouring 90MW Burbo Bank wind farm will be operated from a new operations and maintenance (O&M) facility in Kings Wharf, Seacombe, Merseyside. The facility is expected to be completed by mid-2017.