A record-breaking week for Orsted in Grimsby has been topped off with a tour of the new East Coast Hub by Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry.
For the first time, the multi-billion pound Hornsea One development has recorded the largest output for the whole offshore wind fleet operated by the leading global developer.
Monday saw 100 per cent availability of all commissioned turbines, surpassing the installed capacity of Walney Extension on the West Coast.
With turbine installation in the early 100s, and the wiring up and plugging in not far behind, unofficially at least before final commissioning is declared complete in early 2020, Grimsby can now claim to be home to the world’s biggest wind farm.
Darren Ramshaw, head of East Coast operations for Orsted, said: “We have had 100 per cent availability of all commissioned so far, that are under control of the operations and maintenance hub at Grimsby.
“It is now just going to go, and go and go. We should be proud, and every day we should get prouder and prouder. Hornsea Two leads on from Hornsea One, so when we come out of the other side of these next three years it will be incredible. We will have the world’s largest wind farm in March, officially, and two years later the next one!”
Hornsea One has already propelled Grimsby into 2GW of installed capacity territory, on a route to 8GW, chieflt with Orsted, but also Centrica's initial investments, Eon and Triton Knoll. Green Port Hull is being used as the pre-assembly and load-out base for Hornsea, with blades made on-site.
Mr Berry took in the £10 million operations and maintenance facility, where 350 people are now based, ahead of announcing the latest funding coup for Grimsby’s pioneering Town Deal. Youth zone specialist OnSide is to create an all-action facility at Garth Lane’s West Haven Maltings. North East Lincolnshire Council is finalising the acquisition of the River Freshney-fronting property from the current owners, undertaking further works to conserve and refurbish it, before the national charitable organisation delivers.
After a discussion with local councillors, MPs and other involved parties, Mr Ramshaw gave Mr Berry a tour around the state-of-the-art facility at Royal Dock.
Of the partnership with the pilot, with Orsted having taken a place on the Great Grimsby Partnership Board, he said: “We’re extremely proud to be a part of the local leadership working in support of the Grimsby Town Deal. Orsted has made a long term commitment to the area by building the world’s largest operations and maintenance site right here in Grimsby. With over 80 per cent of our workforce living within an hour’s radius of the East Coast Hub, it’s extremely important to us that we support projects which will benefit our employees, and generations to come.”
He is now looking at a structured volunteering project where time is given to the project, with OnSide appealing.
"Investing in young people in Grimsby is extremely important to us, and we already work with education charities and institutes within the area to inspire young people to study Stem subjects, or to have a career in the growing offshore wind industry,” he said. “It’s great to see these kind of commitments from Local Government and we are excited to see how they’ll benefit the people of Grimsby in years to come."
