Work to decommission the UK’s first offshore wind farm - off the coast of Northumberland - have been completed.
The wind farm off the coast of Blyth was built in 2000 by a consortium made up of E.ON UK Renewables, Shell Renewables, Nuon UK and AMEC Wind.
The two turbines, which had powered thousands of homes when operational, paved the way for Blyth to become a valuable testing ground for offshore construction.
But after reaching the end of their working life they have been decomissioned and removed.
Patrick Rainey, offshore technical specialist at E.ON, said: “The decommissioning of Blyth Offshore Wind Farm has been a project of huge significance for E.ON as well as for the wider renewable energy industry.
“Through this project we have established a deeper understanding of the decommissioning process and have identified areas for improvement and technology gaps that will need to be closed ahead of the larger scale decommissioning projects of the future.
“As an industry we now have the time to work together to develop the innovative methods and technologies that will enable the full-scale deployment of cost-effective decommissioning solutions required before the first full round of decommissioning. At E.ON we look forward to playing a leading role in this exciting next phase of the offshore wind story.”
Adrian Fox, head of offshore assets at The Crown Estate, which manages the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said: “It’s hard to understate the game-changing role these two turbines have played in wind energy moving offshore.
“The first to be deployed anywhere in the North Sea, they kick started the remarkable progress of offshore wind in UK waters, now home to over 2,000 turbines and set to play an increasingly vital role in our nation’s clean energy transition.
“Even in retirement, the project has continued this important legacy, demonstrating how good planning and efficient execution has enabled complete asset removal and restoration of the natural environment. The lessons we’ll learn from Blyth will help the UK to continue leading the world in offshore wind power generation, through the full project lifecycle.”
