RWE Unveils First Turbine Blade for Sofia Offshore Wind Farm at Siemens Gamesa Hull Factory

RWE Unveils First Turbine Blade for Sofia Offshore Wind Farm at Siemens Gamesa Hull Factory

(IN BRIEF) RWE has officially unveiled the first turbine blade for the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, produced at Siemens Gamesa’s Hull facility. This significant milestone in the construction of the flagship renewable energy project was celebrated at a ceremony attended by key industry figures. The 108-meter blades will be fitted to 100 state-of-the-art 14 MW turbines, enabling the Sofia project to generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 1.2 million UK homes annually. The investment supports local job creation and highlights RWE’s commitment to enhancing the UK’s renewable energy capabilities. With over 50% of the project’s funding allocated within the UK, the collaboration between RWE and Siemens Gamesa is set to drive economic growth in the Humber region while pioneering advancements in recyclable blade technology.

(PRESS RELEASE) SWINDON, 4-Oct-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — RWE has proudly announced the unveiling of the inaugural turbine blade for its Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, produced at the Siemens Gamesa facility in Hull. This development represents a significant step forward in the construction of one of the UK’s flagship renewable energy projects.

The unveiling ceremony, attended by key figures including RWE UK Country Chair Tom Glover, Darren Davidson, Vice President of Siemens Energy UK&I and Siemens Gamesa UK, and Melanie Onn, MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, showcased the cutting-edge technology involved in creating these turbine blades.

Measuring an impressive 108 meters in length, these blades will be affixed to each of the 100 state-of-the-art 14-megawatt (MW) turbines central to the Sofia Offshore Wind project. Once operational, the 1.4 gigawatts (GW) wind farm is projected to generate enough renewable electricity to power approximately 1.2 million UK homes annually.

Tom Glover remarked, “Witnessing the production of these remarkable turbine blades is a testament to the value that offshore wind brings to communities like Hull. The potential for job creation throughout the renewable supply chain is immense. Not only through companies like Siemens Energy, which is manufacturing these blades locally, but also across the entire supply network. The Sofia project signifies a substantial investment for RWE in the UK, and we are committed to ensuring that this investment benefits local coastal communities.”

Darren Davidson added, “Siemens Energy, with its Siemens Gamesa division, stands as a global leader in renewable energy. Our Hull facility, which employs over 1,300 people after adding more than 600 new roles in the past year, is integral to powering the energy transition. We are proud to partner with RWE on several UK projects, including the manufacturing of the Sofia blades. It is exciting to see this initiative take shape with the unveiling of the first blade.”

Siemens Energy’s Hull factory, the largest of its kind in the UK, has expanded rapidly in response to the burgeoning offshore wind sector. Through collaboration with RWE and other developers, it has stimulated economic growth in the Humber region.

RWE has invested over 50% of its funding for the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm project within the UK. Siemens Energy will manage the manufacturing, installation, and commissioning of all 100 of the latest SG 14‑222 DD turbines. Each turbine will reach a height of 252 meters, featuring 108-meter-long blades and a rotor diameter of 222 meters. The wind farm will cover a vast area of 593 square kilometers, roughly the size of the Isle of Man.

Additionally, RWE has announced plans, in collaboration with Siemens Gamesa, to implement recyclable blades on 44 of the 100 turbines—setting a new record with a total of 132 recyclable blades. This follows the successful deployment of recyclable blades at RWE’s Kaskasi Offshore Wind Farm near Heligoland in Germany.

Located on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, approximately 195 kilometers off the northeast coast of England, the Sofia offshore wind farm project began offshore installations earlier this year, with completion expected by 2026.

The operations and maintenance for the Sofia project will be conducted from RWE’s new offshore wind operations base, the ‘Grimsby Hub,’ which will also support the Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm. Furthermore, RWE is advancing its two Dogger Bank South projects in the region, which together could yield a potential installed capacity of around 3 GW.

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SOURCE: RWE