RWE Innogy, Stadtwerke Munchen and Siemens have entered into a joint venture to build the offshore wind farm Gwynt y Mor. RWE Innogy will hold a 60% stake in this joint venture, Stadtwerke Munchen 30% and Siemens 10%.
The total investment amounts to more than 2 billion euros, including the grid connection to the coast. The investment will be divided between the partners accordingly. Gwynt y Mor will have an installed capacity of 576 MW and will be located in Liverpool Bay, off the North Wales coast.
Construction is expected to start near the end of 2011 to erect the first foundations for a total of 160 wind turbines. All permits for the wind farm covering an area of 79 square-kilometers have already been obtained. Siemens will supply, install and maintain the wind turbines and provide the connection to the grid.
In its first phase of expansion, the wind farm is planned to generate electricity as early as 2013. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2014 and is expected to generate around 1,950 GWh of electricity annually.
Siemens Energy will receive the contract for supply, erection and maintenance of the wind turbines, as well as for the electrical connection of the Gwynt y Mor wind farm to the mainland. The value of the contract for Siemens is approximately 1.2 billion euros.
Siemens will supply and erect 160 wind power installations with a capacity of 3.6 MW each for the Gwynt y Mor project. Using high-voltage sea cables, power will be transmitted to the Welsh town of St. Asaph, from where inland distribution will take place. Siemens will also be responsible for maintenance of the wind farm for five years, with the option of an extension for a further seven years.
To build Gwynt y Mor, RWE Innogy has arranged for an additional offshore construction ship to be built by the Korean shipyard Daewoo. The first of these offshore construction ships was ordered by the company at the end of last year for the erection of the German offshore wind farm Nordsee Ost. The new construction ship is expected at the end of 2011. The foundations and wind turbines are to be pre-assembled there and then transported out to sea.
SOURCE: RWE Innogy
