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Race Bank wind farm

Coordinates: 53°16′30″N 0°50′00″E / 53.275°N 0.8333°E / 53.275; 0.8333
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Race Bank Wind Farm
Map
Country
  • United Kingdom
Location27 km off the coast of north Norfolk
Coordinates53°16′30″N 0°50′00″E / 53.275°N 0.8333°E / 53.275; 0.8333
StatusOperational
Construction began2016
Commission date
  • February 2018
Wind farm
Type
Max. water depth26 m
Distance from shore32 km
Rotor diameter
  • 154 m (505 ft)
Power generation
Units operational91 × 6 MW
Make and modelSiemens Gamesa SWT-6.0-154 (91)
Nameplate capacity
  • 573 MW
[edit on Wikidata]
Map
Wind farm layout

Race Bank Wind Farm is a 573 MW Round 2 offshore wind farm located 27 km north of Blakeney Point off the coast of Norfolk, and 28 km east of Chapel St Leonards off the Lincolnshire coast in the North Sea. The farm was commissioned in February 2018.

History

Planning

In 2002 the UK government designated the Greater Wash strategic area as potential offshore wind farm development region.[1] In 2004, Centrica was awarded a lease by The Crown Estate during the Round 2 wind farm leasing process to develop a wind farm on Race Bank. The wind farm site was located on a sandbank approximately 27 kilometres (17 mi) north of the north Norfolk coast, and 28 kilometres (17 mi) east of the Lincolnshire coast, with an estimated maximum capacity of 620 MW. The scheme was developed in association with AMEC and the RES Group. The wind farm was to connect to the National Grid at Walpole, together with two of Centrica's other Round 2 wind farms, Lincs Wind Farm and Docking Shoal Wind Farm.[2][note 1]

In 2009 Centrica submitted a planning consent application for a wind farm of up 620 MW capacity.[4] The proposed wind farm covered an area of 75 square kilometres (29 sq mi) at water depths of 4 to 22 metres (13 to 72 ft).[5]

In July 2012 the government gave planning approval for Centrica to construct a wind farm to the capacity of 580 MW.[6]

In November 2013 the project failed to be shortlisted for early contract for difference subsidies from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, putting the future of the project in doubt; in December 2013, Centrica sold the project to DONG Energy for £50 million.[7][8]

As of May 2014, Dong Energy estimated that onshore construction will begin in spring 2015 at the earliest, followed by offshore construction in spring 2016.[9]

Transport of ROW01-Z01, one of the two Race Bank wind farm's substations, topside and jacket on a barge, March 2017

In late 2014 DONG Energy applied for a variation of the original (2009) planning consent, substituting two larger offshore substations for the three originally consented.[10] The new substations were to use improved technology and export electrical power at up to 220kV AC.[11] The new substations were to be supported on four-legged jacket foundations secured to the sea floor with pin piles;[12] as a consequence of the change the number of export cables was to be reduced to two.[13] The Department of Energy and Climate Change consented the changes in March 2015.[14]

In June 2014 Dong committed to building the wind farm, which was to receive subsidies under the Renewables Obligation scheme (1.8 ROCs per MWh).[15][16]

Construction

Contracts for the construction were let from 2015: Turnkey supply and installation of electrical equipment for the STATCOM for the farm was awarded to RXPE (China);[17] NKT (Cologne) was awarded the contract for the 220kV export cables;[18] the 36kV intra-array cabling supply was contracted to JDR (Hartlepool);[19] steel foundations to Bilfinger subsidiary Bilfinger Mars Offshore;[20] and an order for 91 6 MW 154 m Siemens Wind turbines was confirmed in mid-2015.[21]

The turbines will be installed in waters of depth 6 to 26 metres (20 to 85 ft).[22][unreliable source?]

In July 2015 MMT was contracted to clear the cable route of possible unexploded ordnance.[23] Over 40 second world war bombs were located along the cable export route, which were either removed or destroyed in situ.[24]

The first monopile foundation was installed by July 2016.[25]

Operation

The farm was commissioned in February 2018.[26]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Lincs, Docking Shoal and Race Bank wind farms were to share the same onshore cable export route, and onshore substation.[1] The environmental statement for the onshore works was submitted as part of the Lincs Wind Farm application.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Race Bank - ES Non-technical Summary (January 2009) p.3
  2. ^ Race Bank project history (Centrica)
  3. ^ "Lincs Offshore Wind Farm Environmental Statement : Non-Technical Summary" (PDF), www.centrica.com, pp. 3, 5, 11, January 2007, archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2014
  4. ^ Centrica seeks consent for Race Bank offshore wind farm (PDF) (press release), Centrica, 23 January 2009, archived from the original (PDF) on 8 July 2011, retrieved 24 November 2010
  5. ^ Race Bank - ES Non-technical Summary (January 2009) p.4
  6. ^ "Wind farms off East coast approved by government", BBC News Norfolk, 6 July 2012, archived from the original on 26 September 2015, retrieved 30 July 2019
  7. ^ "Norfolk Race Bank wind farm sold to DONG Energy for £50m", BBC News Norfolk, 13 December 2013, archived from the original on 7 October 2016, retrieved 30 July 2019
  8. ^ "Dong buys troubled Race Bank offshore windfarm from Centrica", utilityweek.co.uk, 13 December 2013, archived from the original on 3 March 2016, retrieved 11 May 2014
  9. ^ Race Bank (project update) (Dong Energy, May 2014), p.4
  10. ^ The Electricity Generating Stations (Variation of Consents) (England and Wales) Regulations 2013 ("the 2013 Regulations") (PDF) (communication), Dong Energy, 10 December 2014
  11. ^ Section 36 variation 2014, §1.3.1.
  12. ^ Section 36 variation, environmental information 2014, § 1.23, 1.3.1-1.3.3.
  13. ^ Section 36 variation, environmental information 2014, Table 3.1, pp.27-29.
  14. ^ Race Bank Section 36 Variation, Dong Energy, archived from the original on 23 February 2016, retrieved 15 February 2016
  15. ^ "Dong Energy to build Race Bank offshore wind farm", Grimsby Telegraph, 24 June 2015, archived from the original on 29 July 2015, retrieved 30 July 2019
  16. ^ DONG Energy to build Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm in the UK (press release), Dong Energy, 24 June 2015, archived from the original on 13 August 2016, retrieved 30 July 2019
  17. ^ "Chinese double up with Dong", renews.biz, 27 March 2015, archived from the original on 2 April 2015, retrieved 27 March 2015
  18. ^ "NKT to Start Fabricating Race Bank's Export Cables", www.offshorewind.biz, 24 June 2015, archived from the original on 1 August 2016, retrieved 30 July 2019
  19. ^ "JDR in Charge of Race Bank's Inter-Array Cables", www.offshorewind.biz, 24 June 2014, archived from the original on 11 March 2016, retrieved 30 July 2019
  20. ^ "Bilfinger Wins the Race", www.offshorewind.biz, 8 June 2015, archived from the original on 4 November 2016, retrieved 30 July 2019
  21. ^ "Siemens 1.2GW monster order", renews.biz, 3 July 2015, archived from the original on 3 July 2015, retrieved 3 July 2015
  22. ^ "Siemens wins turbine supply contract for Race Bank offshore wind project in UK". power-technology.com. 5 July 2015. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  23. ^ "Race Bank win for MMT", renews.biz, 27 July 2015, archived from the original on 27 July 2015, retrieved 27 July 2015
  24. ^ "Explosions at Dong Energy's Race Bank wind farm site as WWII bombs are safely detonated - video", Grimsby Telegraph, 15 October 2015, archived from the original on 18 October 2015, retrieved 30 July 2019
  25. ^ "Race Bank off the mark", renews.biz, 1 July 2016, archived from the original on 3 August 2017, retrieved 30 July 2019
  26. ^ "Full power at Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm". orsted.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.

Sources

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