The team at Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm are gearing up for an important visit today as the UK Energy Minister Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP officially opens the 504MW development.
A 50-50 joint venture between SSE and RWE Innogy, the £1.6bn project was ten years in the making and pushed the boundaries of developing larger scale offshore wind farms in more challenging, deeper and more distant waters. Now, with all 140 turbines generating, the wind farm is capable of providing enough clean energy to power over 500,000 homes*.
During his visit to the Lowestoft base, hosted by SSE Chief Executive Alistair Phillips-Davies and RWE Innogy Chief Executive Dr Hans Bünting, the minister will meet some of the people behind the construction and successful operation of the wind farm. He will also tour the site and learn how innovation is improving efficiency and driving down operation costs, including a demonstration of how remote controlled aerial vehicles are being used for turbine and equipment inspections.
SSE’s Managing Director, Renewables, Jim Smith, says today’s visit represents a major milestone for what has been a pioneering project: