Triton Knoll installs its final turbine

Triton Knoll, the most powerful offshore wind farm being constructed by RWE, has installed its final turbine, marking a significant stage in the project’s construction. The last of the state-of-the-art Vestas 9.5 megawatts (MW) turbines was erected earlier today, ensuring the project remains on track to complete turbine commissioning in 2021 and achieve final project completion in 2022.

Triton Knoll is jointly owned by RWE (59%), J-Power (25%) and Kansai Electric Power (16%), with RWE leading both the wind farm’s construction and the long-term operation and maintenance works on behalf of the project partners. Once fully operational, Triton Knoll will be capable of generating enough green electricity for the equivalent demand of over 800,000 UK homes.

Turbine installation commenced in January 2021 and has been completed on schedule despite the many challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic. The 90 Vestas 9.5 MW wind turbines were installed by Vestas and DEME using the jack-up “Wind Osprey” provided by Cadeler.

Triton Knoll consists of 90 turbines, each one up to 187 metres tall with blades of over 80 metres long. Each turbine is state-of-the-art and capable of powering a typical home for up to 29 hours with single rotation of the blades. The turbine blades, nacelles and tower sections were prepared for offshore installation at Able Seaton Port on Teesside. As a result of investment triggered by Triton Knoll, the infrastructure at the port has been developed by Able UK for use as a turbine assembly and installation facility for the first time.

The port now includes a 140,000 square metres handling facility with specialist quayside, complete with roads and utilities infrastructure, accommodation and office units for those working on site. The investment means that the port can now be fully utilised as an offshore construction port for future project developments, following the completion of Triton Knoll construction works.

Triton Knoll offshore wind farm is located 32 kilometers off the Lincolnshire coast. The project generated its first power and delivered it to the grid in February 2021, and is on track to complete turbine installation and commissioning as planned. Total planned investment volume amounts to approximately £2 billion.

RWE is one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, involved in the deployment of around 2.4 GW (pro rata) of operational offshore wind capacity, and developing and constructing some of the world’s most advanced offshore wind farms. RWE supports the UK government in achieving its ambitious climate goals.

Alongside Triton Knoll, RWE is constructing the 1.4 GW Sofia Offshore Wind Farm and is progressing four extension projects in the UK, with a combined potential installed capacity of around 2.6 GW (RWE’s pro rata share: 1.3 GW.) Furthermore, the company successfully bid for two new adjacent offshore sites on Dogger Bank, with a potential total installed capacity of 3 GW, in The Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Round 4 Leasing auction. Globally, RWE is driving an offshore wind pipeline of almost 10 GW (pro rata) with secured development rights as part of its total pipeline of more than 30 GW.