Today marks the two-year
anniversary of the inauguration and completion of London Array – the world’s
largest offshore wind farm. The sophisticated, 630-megawatt wind power project
– and Masdar’s largest international investment to date – continues to deliver
clean and reliable energy to more than half-a-million homes
throughout the United Kingdom.
Since its launch, London
Array has produced more than 5-terawatt hours of affordable, renewable electricity,
while mitigating more than 2 million tons of CO2 emissions.
"As the largest
operating offshore wind farm, the London Array has helped lead the way for the
global renewable energy sector," said Dr Ahmad Belhoul, CEO of
Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy and clean-technology company. "London
Array’s performance over the past two years is a powerful example of renewable
energy’s emergence as a cost-effective means to deliver clean power to millions
of citizens – no longer are renewables an expensive alternative power for the
few."
Spread out across
100-square kilometres, equal to 10,000 football pitches, the
construction of this expansive offshore windfarm pushed the limits of design
and logistics, with 60 sea vessels and 1,000 people at the installation’s site
at that time. Those efforts resulted in 175 wind turbines that, today, power
nearly one in 50 British homes.
"The London Array
is a testament to the UAE’s status as a responsible and innovative energy
leader, and is one reason why Masdar has earned its reputation in the
marketplace as one of the world’s most forward-thinking energy companies,"
Dr Belhoul added.
A joint venture between
E.ON (30%), DONG Energy (25%), La Caisse de d?p?t et placement du
Quebec (25%) and Masdar (20%), the London Array is located in the outer Thames
Estuary in the United Kingdom, 20 kilometres off the coast of Kent in southeast
England.
The components of the
offshore installation are also impressive as each wind turbine has a
circumference that is equivalent to one and a half times the size of London’s Wembley
Stadium’s football pitch. The turbines are designed to run for more than 20
years, 24-hours a day and seven days a week.
The development of
London Array positioned Masdar as a leader in the offshore wind power sector
and enabled the company to pursue further projects, such as the 402-megawatt
Dudgeon offshore wind farm under construction in the North Sea.
In the Middle East,
Masdar is also partnering on the development of onshore wind farms in Jordan
and Oman. Globally, Masdar has 1.5 gigawatts of clean energy in operation or
under development.
Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s
renewable energy company which works to advance the development,
commercialisation and deployment of clean energy technologies and solutions.
The company serves as a link between today’s fossil fuel economy and the energy
economy of the future. Wholly owned by the Mubadala Development Company PJSC,
the strategic investment company of the Government of Abu Dhabi, Masdar is
dedicated to the Emirates’ long-term vision for the future of energy. –End-
Image by: uaeinteract.com
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