Vestas has received a firm and unconditional order for 15 V112-3.3 MW offshore turbines for the extension of the Kentish Flats wind farm off the coast of the UK.
Vattenfall has contracted Vestas for the supply, installation and commissioning of the wind turbines as well as a 5-year service and maintenance agreement (AOM 5000). Delivery of the turbines will take place in the second quarter of 2015 and the project is expected to be commissioned in the third quarter of 2015.
When operational, the wind farm extension will generate annually the equivalent power used by 42,000 UK households, in addition to the existing 30 turbine Kentish Flats Offshore Wind Farm, which also consists of 30 V90-3.0 MW turbines, serviced by Vestas.
Uffe Vinther-Schou, Senior Vice President at Vestas Offshore says: “We are very pleased that Vattenfall acknowledges the strong business case of the new V112-3.3 MW turbine for offshore deployment and look forward to continuing building on our close collaboration including the long-standing service set-up in Kent with the current Kentish Flats wind farm and the Thanet wind farm.“
It is Vestas’ first order with the 3.3 MW version of the V112 offshore turbine. Vestas’ V112 turbine has proven to be very successful and as per 30 June 2013, Vestas has received orders of a total of 4,626 MW for the V112 turbine in general, which includes 204 units of the V112-3.0 offshore turbine.
Furthermore, this project will utilise Vestas’ innovative pre-assembly concept: At Vestas’ pre-assembly facility at the port of Esbjerg, Denmark, the 15 turbines will be pre-assembled and pre-commissioned onshore before being shipped directly to the Kentish Flats Extension. This concept significantly lowers the cost of offshore wind energy because it reduces unnecessary transport of turbine components overland and avoids commissioning hours while at sea.
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Press release, December 19, 2013; Image: Vattenfall