RWE opens 576 MW Gwynt y Mor offshore wind farm

• 8 years ago (2015-06-18)
• Junior Isles

Europe 1061 Renewables 752

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RWE has officially opened the Gwynt y Mor wind farm in North Wales. The project, financed with a £2 billion ($3.18 billion) investment by Stadtwerke Munchen and Siemens, has seen the development of 160 turbines some 13 km into the Liverpool Bay.

The project is the second largest offshore wind farm project in the world and will increase the UK's offshore capacity by 14 per cent.

Siemens has supplied 3.6 MW turbines and two offshore substations will transmit power to shore at St. Asaph.

Peter Terium, RWE’s chief executive, said that RWE currently expects to invest a total of €1 billion ($1.13 billion) between 2015 and 2017 in growing renewables, with wind power being at the forefront of that investment.

However, he added: "It’s a challenging environment though and for RWE and its partners to be confident in realising this, we require a clear levy framework and to be reassured we are investing in line with government’s long term ambitions for renewables.”

First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones said: “Local companies have been among those to benefit during construction and the site will bring high quality employment and opportunities for years to come."

Gwynt y Mor was constructed without any lost time across 4 million man-hours of offshore construction, which, according to project director Toby Edmonds, represents some "impressive" industry benchmarks.