RWE secures agreements for UK offshore wind farms

The Gwynt y Môr extension project called Awel y Môr is located off the coast of North Wales in the Irish Sea. Its capacity may be up to 576 MW (RWE share 60%). The Galloper extension called Five Estuaries has a potential capacity of up to 353 MW (RWE share 25%) and the Greater Gabbard extension, renamed North Falls, has an agreement for up to 504 MW (RWE share 50%). Both projects are located in the southern North Sea. The Rampion 2 development project with a potential capacity of up to 1200 MW (RWE share 50.01%) is located off the coast of Sussex in the English Channel.

All projects are in very early stages. The necessary development and consenting activities will now progress in accordance with current UK Government guidelines which will include comprehensive stakeholder consultation and determining each project’s exact installed capacity. The consenting processes are expected to take three to five years with participation in auctions for a Contract for Difference (CfD) and construction following thereafter. The wind farms could become fully operational towards the end of the decade.

Tom Glover, RWE Renewables Chief Commercial Officer and RWE UK Country Chair, said: “RWE looks back on many years of experience in the UK offshore wind industry, working hand in hand with the communities where our renewables projects are located. I expect the four offshore wind extension projects to bring significant benefits to the UK energy infrastructure and economy. They present a potential multi-billion pound investment and could grow the local supply chain as well as lead to the creation of hundreds of jobs.”

RWE will take the lead on behalf of partners for the development of the Awel y Môr and Five Estuaries offshore wind farms. RWE and SSE Renewables have formed a 50:50 joint venture company to develop the North Falls offshore wind farm together. Rampion 2 is a joint venture between RWE, a Macquarie-led consortium and Enbridge. RWE will manage the project.

“As we want to further expand our offshore wind business, I am absolutely delighted to announce that we have prepared the ground for further growth. Together with our project partners, we have secured the Agreements for Lease with The Crown Estate for the development of four offshore wind farm extension projects in the UK. Furthermore, we decided to develop remaining seabed leases at our Rampion project site. With a combined RWE pro rata share amounting potentially to around 1.3 GW, this brings a massive boost to our project pipeline and strengthens RWE’s position as being the second biggest player in offshore wind globally.” Sven Utermöhlen, Chief Operating Officer Wind Offshore Global of RWE Renewables.

The UK plays a key role in RWE’s strategy to grow its renewables business and to become carbon neutral by 2040. With nine offshore wind farms in the UK in operation, RWE has significant experience in the offshore market. The company’s pro-rata installed capacity in offshore wind amounts in the UK to 1.4 GW. Furthermore, RWE is currently constructing the 857 MW offshore wind farm Triton Knoll (RWE share 59%) off the Lincolnshire coast and is developing the 1.4 GW offshore wind farm Sofia, 100% owned by RWE. RWE also has a strong footprint in onshore wind in the UK, with an installed pro-rata capacity of around 650 MW in operation.

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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/29092020/rwe-secures-agreements-for-uk-offshore-wind-farms/