The first turbine foundation for the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Wind Farm development is on the way to its final
destination.

EDF Energy Renewables is building the wind farm, which will consist of five wind turbines with a total generating capacity of 41.5MW, around 6.5km off the coast of Blyth.

Once operational, it will generate enough electricity to power around 34,000 homes.

Concrete gravity-based foundations (GBFs) are being installed using a new “float and submerge” method for the first time. Designed and built by BAM Nuttall in the Neptune dry dock on the Tyne, the GBFs will be floated into position and sunk onto the sea-bed so that they can support the wind turbines.

Each GBF is made up of more than 1,800m³ of concrete and will weigh over 15,000 tonnes when installed on the sea-bed.

Once the GBFs are manoeuvred into position over the summer, specialist contractor VBMS will start laying the inter-array cables.

Five MHI Vestas V164 turbines with a power rating of 8.3MW — the largest to be used for an offshore wind farm — will then be installed; they should start generating power by the end of the year.

Matthieu Hue, the CEO of EDF Energy Renewables, said: “This is the first major offshore operation on this project; over the coming months, people will be able to see the wind farm being built out at sea.

“This ground-breaking scheme will benefit the North East of England and help the UK to meet its future low-carbon electricity needs.”