Vestas to Deliver 100 Wind Turbines for U.K. Offshore Windfarm
Vestas Wind Systems A/S (Randers, Denmark) received an order from Vattenfall Wind Power (Stockholm, Sweden) to supply 100 V90-3MW wind turbines for installation at the Thanet offshore windfarm, which will be located approximately 11 kilometers to the east of Margate, Kent, in southeast England.
According to a report by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, TX), the order includes design, supply, construction, testing and commissioning of the 100 3-megawatt (MW) wind turbines and a five-year operation and maintenance contract. Vattenfall will be responsible for the foundations, offshore and onshore cables with substations and offshore installation vessels. The plant will have a total capacity of 300 MW, enough to supply about 240,000 homes per year with green energy. Construction of the project, which will cost around $1.5 billion to complete, will begin in 2009, and final completion is scheduled for the end of 2010. Delivery of the turbines is expected during 2009 and 2010.
In July 2006, Vestas was chosen as the preferred turbine supplier. The project was delayed because Vestas had decided to temporarily withdraw the V90 offshore model from the market because of problems with the turbine's gearbox. In May 2008, Vestas decided to again release the model for sale.
The Thanet Windfarm will make a significant contribution to the Government's national and regional renewable energy goals. The U.K. has overtaken Denmark to become the world's number one country for offshore windfarms, with 597 MW fully constructed.
