World's Largest Offshore Wind Power Plant Opened

The unique difference between London Array and other offshore projects, apart from its size, is the site. The wind farm is located 20 kilometers from the Kent and Essex coasts in the Outer Thames Estuary and near to main shipping lanes. The site is located in two very distinct areas – one in deep-water upto 25 meters, while the other dries out during low tide. This has an impact on how to organize installation vessels. The picture shows the installation of the last turbine in December 2012 / Source: siemens

London Array, the world's largest offshore wind power plant, was inaugurated on July, 4th. Siemens has delivered wind turbines, transmission solutions and will service the wind turbines. The plant has a capacity of 630 megawatts (MW). It will supply 500 000 British households with clean electricity. The power plant will reduce annual CO₂ emissions by around 900 000 tons - equivalent to the emissions of nearly 300 000 cars. Four years ago the Siemens involvement in the project started. It has been delivered successfully and on time. Customer is consortium consisting of Dong Energy, E.ON and Masdar.

The London Array Offshore Wind Farm is located in the Thames estuary, approximately 20 km off the Kent and Essex coasts. Siemens supplied and installed 175 wind turbines, each with a rotor diameter of 120 meters and a rating of 3.6 MW, the grid connection supplying the mechanical and electrical equipment for the two offshore substations and the main contractor for the construction of the onshore substation. The energy generated by the wind turbines is bundled and transported via high-voltage submarine cables to the coast. These four export cables have a length over 50 km each. Over 200 km of inter-array cabling connect the turbines to each other and to the offshore substations. Siemens will also be responsible, together with Dong Energy, for the service maintenance of the wind turbines under a long-term agreement. The operations and maintenance building built by London Array accommodates around 90 workers includes computerized monitoring and control facilities, a workshop, offices and storage facilities. The complex has been built to tough environmental standards and features sustainable and recyclable building materials, a grass roof, an on-site Combined Heat and Power Plant and a design that makes the best use of natural light.

Siemens is one of the leading suppliers of offshore wind power. The company has already installed around 1,100 wind turbines at sea, over two thirds of which are in Great Britain and in total 4.6 gigawatts offshore capacity in its order books. It has also implemented six grid connections with a total of eight offshore substations in Great Britain

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