E.On has officially opened the Rampion offshore wind project, it has announced.
The 400 MW wind farm is the first offshore wind farm off the south coast of England and took three years to build, E.On said in a statement. It consists of 116 MHI Vestas V112-3.45 MW wind turbines with 80 m hub heights installed on monopile foundations approximately 16 km from the Sussex coastline.
Rampion’s owners – E.On, Enbridge and the Green Investment Group – held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the project at the end of November. Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said: “It’s great to see the south coast’s first offshore wind farm opening, powering around 350 000 homes, creating hundreds of high quality jobs and building on our reputation as a world leader in this sector.
“As part of our modern Industrial Strategy we’ve set out a further £557 million of funding for new renewable projects like this, helping to tackle climate change and deliver clean growth to local economies,” Perry added. “We’re putting the finishing touches to our Offshore Wind Sector Deal that will see this sector go from strength to strength for years to come.”
E.On said that it continues “to see the UK as an attractive market for the expansion of offshore wind”. Sven Utermöhlen, COO of E.On Climate & Renewables, said: “The government's support for this technology and an intelligent funding system are also exemplary for other countries in Europe.”
Over the past ten years, E.On has invested nearly €3 billion in renewable projects in the UK. With the completion of Rampion, the company owns almost 1.2 GW of wind power in the UK and more than 6 GW worldwide.
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