UK-based energy firm SSE Renewables has informed that marshalling operations for wind turbine parts are underway at Able Seaton Port in Hartlepool for what will be Scotland’s biggest, and the world’s deepest fixed bottom offshore wind farm – Seagreen.
In the last few weeks, SSE Renewables and joint-venture partner TotalEnergies said that the installation of turbine foundations has started at the 1.1GW project site, 27km off the Angus coast in Scotland.
"It can now be revealed that the delivery of parts for the project’s Vestas V164-10.0 MW turbines, including blades, nacelles, and the supporting towers to Vestas’ base in the North-East of England is well underway," SSE Renewables said Wednesday.
When in full production, the Able Seaton site will support approximately 100 full time employees, including technicians for the installation of the wind turbines, crane personnel, supervisors, quality inspectors, warehouse workers and other staff.
The campaign to fit the turbine parts at the £3bn Seagreen project is expected to commence in late 2021 and will run in tandem with the continuing campaign to fit the turbine foundations, also known as jackets.
First power is expected in spring 2022 with the 114-turbine wind farm expected to be fully commissioned in 2023.
Earlier this year, Vestas said that 87% of the V164 blades for the 1,075 MW Seagreen project would be manufactured in the UK.
Of the 114 blade sets to be installed at the Seagreen project, 99 blade sets, or 297 blades in total, are being produced domestically. Production for the Seagreen project is taking place at the company’s Isle of Wight facility.