EDF Energy Renewables has announced its tier one contractors for the offshore part of its Teesside Offshore Windfarm, off the coast of Redcar.
The 2.3MW turbines will be supplied and installed by Siemens, while Netherlands-based Van Oord will provide the Balance of Plant, including foundations and sub-sea cabling.
Work started on the 27-turbine windfarm in November 2010. Power production from the windfarm is planned for late 2012. The windfarm will be built 1.5km from the shore, at its closest point, and at its peak, over 100 construction workers will be on site. When the project is commissioned, approximately 12 permanent positions will be based in the nearby Operations facility.
Once up and running the windfarm will have the capacity to produce 62 megawatts of electricity, enough green energy to power up to 40,000 households. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council’s planning committee gave their backing to the project in November 2008 when they granted permission for an electricity sub-station.
The construction of the windfarm is being managed by EDF Energy Renewables from their Wilton office, some three miles from the site. Stokesley-based offshore consulting firm MPI Consultants has been appointed as management contractor for the project.
EDF Energy Renewables CEO, Christian EGAL said: “We are extremely happy to have closed the Wind Turbine and Balance of Plant contracts with two very experienced companies in the offshore wind industry. The Wilton based team led by Tim BLAND are looking forward to delivering the construction phase of this project alongside Siemens and Van Oord.”
Gustl-Bernhard Friedl, Head of the Offshore Department at the Business Unit Siemens Wind Power said: “This new order proves that our company and our technology have achieved so much trust in the offshore market that we can attract new clients. So far, most offshore wind power plants have been installed or are currently under construction in North-West Europe. With more than 20 years experience offshore, Siemens Wind Power is the world’s largest supplier to the offshore market today and we look forward to working with EDR ER on the Teesside project.”
Johan van Wijland, heading Van Oord’s Offshore Wind Projects department, said: “Van Oord is very pleased with this order from EDF Energy Renewables. Van Oord has ten years’ experience in offshore wind construction, including five years as a Balance of Plant Contractor. The construction of the Teesside Offshore Wind Farm will be completed just ahead of the launching of Van Oord’s new installation vessel Aeolus.”
Across the construction delivery of the Teesside Offshore Wind farm, EDF Energy Renewables has already let contracts to UK based suppliers, who are in turn employing local staff, for the grid connection, onshore electrical infrastructure, construction management, environmental management and monitoring, marine warranty surveying, and a number of other supporting work packages. EDF Energy Renewables fully expects that the construction phase of the Teesside Offshore Windfarm will achieve comparable levels of UK based content as other offshore wind construction projects within the UK.
EDF Energy Renewables
EDF Energy Renewables is a 50:50 Joint Venture between EDF Energy and EDF Energies Nouvelles. It combines its parent companies’ renewable energy development skills, expertise, and resources in one place to spearhead EDF Group’s renewables development activities in the UK. EDF Energy Renewables formalises a well established history of cooperation between the two sister EDF Group companies and creates a vehicle for the development, acquisition and operation of renewable energy assets, both on and offshore, in the UK.