Walney Extension offshore wind farm
Irish Sea, off the coast of Cumbria, UK · 2015–2018 (fully operational September 2018) · £1.5 billion (estimated)
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchAt its completion, it was the world's largest operational offshore wind farm, showcasing the rapid growth and scale of the industry. - The project demonstrated the successful deployment of larger capacity turbines (8 MW and 7 MW) to maximize energy output.
Key engineering challenges
Integrating two different turbine technologies (MHI Vestas and Siemens Gamesa) within the same wind farm. - Managing construction in the Irish Sea, including vessel operations and weather conditions. - Covering a large area (145 km2) and connecting it efficiently to the grid.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Ørsted
- Lead contractor
- N/A (multiple contractors, e.g., MHI Vestas and Siemens for turbines)
- Lead designers
- N/A
- Project type
- new build
- Scale
- 659 MW capacity; 87 turbines (40 MHI Vestas 8 MW and 47 Siemens Gamesa 7 MW)
- Disciplines
- civil; structural; mechanical; electrical; marine; geotechnical
- Standards & frameworks
- N/A
Sources: Ørsted: https://orsted.com/en/media/news/2018/09/the-worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-opens-today - Ørsted UK: https://orsted.co.uk/energy-solutions/offshore-wind/our-wind-farms/walney-extension - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walney_Wind_Farm