EDF Energy Renewables (www.edf-er.com) has installed the final gravity base foundation at its 41.5MW Blyth (Northumberland) offshore demo project.

Tugs towed the Royal BAM fabricated structure — manufactured in Newcastle — into position 6.5km offshore earlier this month, before it was filled with water and submerged.

Ballasting operations are on-going, to ensure that each foundation is correctly placed on the sea bed. Onshore preparations have also begun, ahead of 14km of cable laying works to the first of the GBFs.

The installation of five MHI Vestas 8MW turbines at the project will begin in September. The foundations are being installed using a ‘float and submerge’ method — a first for offshore wind.