Walney Phase 1

Walney Phase 1 Wind Farm Profile

Location

The Walney Phase 1 wind farm is located approximately 9 miles (14 km) west of Walney Island off the coast of Cumbria, England, in the Irish Sea.

Development and Ownership

Walney Phase 1 was developed by Walney (UK) Offshore Windfarms Limited, a partnership between DONG Energy (now Ørsted) and Scottish and Southern Energy. The ownership structure includes DONG Energy (50.1%), Scottish and Southern Energy (25.1%), and a consortium of PGGM and Dutch Ampère Equity Fund (24.8%).

Construction

• Construction of Walney Phase 1 began in March 2010.
• The monopiles were laid by jack-up vessels Vagant and Goliath, operated by Belgium-based GeoSea. The first monopile was installed in April 2010.
• The offshore substation was placed within the wind farm area in June 2010.
• The turbines were installed using the Sea Worker, a jack-up barge operated by A2Sea. The first turbine was installed in July 2010, and the last one was installed in May 2011.

Operational Details

• Inauguration: Walney Phase 1 became fully operational in May 2011, with electricity from the last turbine (51st) exported to the grid on 30 May 2011.
• Turbines: The phase consists of 51 Siemens SWT-3.6-107 turbines, each with a rated capacity of 3.6 MW. The turbines have a rotor diameter of 107 meters and a maximum height of 137 meters to the tip of the blade.
• Capacity: The total installed capacity of Walney Phase 1 is 183.6 MW.
• Power Transmission: The power generated is transmitted through underwater sea cables to an offshore substation, where the voltage is stepped up from 34 kV to 132 kV before being exported to the onshore substation at Heysham.

Impact and Capacity

• Energy Generation: Walney Phase 1 can serve nearly 160,000 households in the UK.
• Environmental Impact: The wind farm contributes to the UK’s renewable energy targets and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by displacing fossil-fuel-based electricity.

Financial and Operational Aspects

• Cost: The overall cost for the first two phases of the Walney wind farm was approximately £1 billion ($1.58 billion).
• Power Purchase Agreement: DONG Energy signed a 15-year long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with the consortium of PGGM and Dutch Ampère Equity Fund for the purchase of the consortium’s share of electricity from the project.

Technical Specifications

• Water Depth: The turbines are installed in water depths ranging from 19 meters to 23 meters.
• Area Coverage: The phase covers an area of approximately 73 square kilometers.

Overall, Walney Phase 1 is a significant component of the larger Walney Wind Farms project, contributing substantially to the UK's renewable energy goals and reducing the country's reliance on fossil fuels.