Robin Rigg

Robin Rigg Wind Farm Profile

Location

The Robin Rigg Wind Farm is situated in the Solway Firth, a sandbank midway between the Galloway and Cumbrian coasts, near the Scottish-English border. It is approximately 9 km from the nearest landfall on the coast of Dumfries and Galloway at Balcary Point and almost equidistant from the Cumbrian Coast.

Project Overview

• The Robin Rigg Wind Farm is Scotland's first commercial offshore wind farm, comprising two sections known as Robin Rigg East and Robin Rigg West.
• The project was developed by E.ON UK Renewables, which is now part of RWE Renewables UK. RWE Renewables UK currently owns the project with a 100% stake.

Construction and Commissioning

• Construction began in January 2008, with work on the transmission assets starting in July 2007. The project was completed in September 2009, and it entered commercial operation on April 20, 2010.

Turbines and Capacity

• The wind farm consists of 60 Vestas V90-3MW wind turbines, each with a hub height of 80 meters and a nameplate capacity of 3MW.
• The turbines are supported on monopile foundations, typically extending 30 to 40 meters into the sea bed. The monopiles are 35 meters long and 4.3 meters in diameter.

Technical Specifications

• Each turbine features a three-bladed upwind design, introduced by Vestas in 2002. The V90-3MW turbines are designed to be lighter and stronger, with a new nacelle design, pitch control, a doubly fed 50Hz induction generator, an oil-cooled generator, and a compact gearbox.
• The turbines were assembled in Belfast and delivered offshore for installation during the summer of 2008.

Transmission and Grid Connection

• The wind farm is connected to the local electricity distribution system via two offshore substations. These substations are linked to the onshore grid through two 132kV cables, each 12.5 km long, provided by Prysmian. The cables come ashore near Seaton, Cumbria, and travel about 2 km inland to the new onshore substation.

Environmental Impact and Energy Production

• The Robin Rigg Wind Farm generates enough electricity to power approximately 117,000 to 137,000 homes, depending on the source.
• It offsets around 230,000 to 235,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

Operations and Maintenance

• The wind farm is operated from the Port of Workington, which serves as the base for its 20-year operational life.
• Local suppliers are used for various services including vessel management, fabrication, environmental monitoring, and more. The wind farm employs around 40 people, most of whom are local to the area.

Legal and Contractual Aspects

• The project involved several contractors, including MT Hojgaard for the design, supply, and installation of the foundations, and Vestas as the turbine supplier.
• In 2017, the UK Supreme Court ruled on a legal case involving the failure of certain foundation structures designed and installed by MT Hojgaard. The case highlighted issues with the compliance of the structures to the specified 20-year lifetime requirement and the international standard J101.

Financial and Ownership Details

• The project required an investment of approximately €500 million.
• The transmission assets were initially owned by E.ON Climate & Renewables (UK) Ltd and were later transferred to Transmission Capital and Amber Infrastructure under the OFTO (Offshore Transmission Owner) regime in March 2011.

Performance

• In its first year of commercial operation, the wind farm was available to operate for over 98% of the time.
• The levelised cost of the project has been estimated at £135/MWh.