REpower will supply the first of 30 turbines rated at 5MW each from the end of 2010.

Sweden’s state-owned Vattenfall purchased the Ormonde project in 2008. But it only made the decision to fully pursue Ormonde after the UK government boosted its financial support for offshore wind by doubling the amount of Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) that projects are eligible for.

“Vattenfall bought the Ormonde project last year, and since then we have faced a number of issues including the weakening of the [pound sterling] and increased costs,” says David Hodkinson, head of UK development for Vattenfall Wind Power.

“Helped by the UK government’s announcement to review the support offered to offshore wind farms facing such pressures, our project team has now been able to make this key investment decision for this project,” Hodkinson says.

Ormonde will be set 35km off the northwestern coast of England, with Barrow-in-Furness as the closest coastal town.

All nacelles and hubs will be manufactured at REpower’s facility in Bremerhaven, and will then be shipped to Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Rotor blades and tower segments will also be shipped to Belfast for pre-assembly. The turbines will then be shipped to the site on jack-up barges and installed upon jacket foundations.