The 400-MW Rampion offshore wind farm off the Sussex coast in the UK has been officially opened, said German energy company E.on SE. The offshore wind farm now generating enough green electricity for around 350,000 UK homes setting a new power record in the country.
Three years of construction officially came to an end on Saturday (November 29) at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Rampion offshore wind farm, the first wind farm off the UK's south coast.
Named after the county flower of Sussex, the offshore wind farm, over the next 25 years, will make an important contribution to meeting the UK's climate targets.
After a three-year construction schedule involving a workforce of around 750 at peak times, all 116 turbines were put into operation in spring. A visitor center is scheduled to open on the beach promenade of the seaside resort of Brighton, by summer 2019, where interactive displays will provide information on climate change, offshore wind energy and Rampion.
"We continue to see the UK as an attractive market for the expansion of offshore wind. The government's support for this technology and an intelligent funding system are also exemplary for other countries in Europe," said Sven Utermöhlen, COO of E.ON Climate & Renewables, to guests from politics and business.
The wind farm is a joint project of E.ON, the Canadian energy company Enbridge and the Green Investment Rampion Ltd consortium. E.ON is responsible for the construction and operation of the wind farm.
Over the past ten years, E.ON has invested nearly €3 billion in renewable projects in the UK. With the completion of Rampion, the company owns almost 1.2 gigawatts of wind power in the UK and more than 6 gigawatts worldwide.