RWE has announced it has completed the installation of the turbine foundations for the £2 billion Triton Knoll windfarm being built off the coast of Lincolnshire.
Construction of the 857MW project began in January under the control of its former subsidiary Innogy. RWE reabsorbed Innogy’s renewables portfolio earlier this summer after its stake in the company was transferred to Eon as part of wider asset swap deal.
Two 50-kilometre export cables have also been laid. RWE expects to install the first of the 90 massive 9.5MW turbines that will make up the windfarm in early 2021 and begin commercial operation of the array a year later.
“With the installation of all foundations and the export cables, we have successfully completed a key offshore construction phase at Triton Knoll,” said Sven Utermohlen, chief operating officer of RWE Renewables’ global offshore wind business.
“The Triton Knoll team and our suppliers have shown a great commitment to reach this milestone within schedule, whilst coping with the many challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.”
RWE holds a 59 per cent stake in the project, with the rest owned by the Japanese utilities J Power (25 per cent) and Kansai Electric Power (16 per cent).
Triton Knoll secured a Contract for Difference at a strike price of £74.50/MWh in the second auction in 2017. RWE also secured an agreement for its giant 1.4GW Sofia offshore windfarm in the 2019 auction at a strike price of £39.65/MWh.
RWE Renewables chief commercial officer and Tom Glover said: “The UK is one of the most important markets for RWE, where we have significant growth ambitions in offshore wind. Following in the footsteps of Triton Knoll will be our 1.4 GW Sofia offshore windfarm, which has a potential investment value of around £3 billion.
“We are also looking forward to developing a number of extension projects to our existing UK offshore wind farms, in connection with opportunities arising from the Crown Estate’s latest leasing round.”