Germany’s Innogy and joint venture partner Statkraft have chosen MHI Vestas as the preferred turbine supplier for the 860MW Triton Knoll wind farm, with plans to use its new V164-9.5MW machine at the project off eastern England.

The developer is looking to install 90 of the ground-breaking 9.5MW turbines at the wind farm, a model described by MHI Vestas as the most powerful and efficient on the market.

Innogy was one of three successful offshore wind farm developers in the UK’s contract for difference (CfD) auction last week, with a Triton Knoll strike price of £74.75/MWh.

While still at the preferred supplier stage, the developer will now work with MHI Vestas to make the most of the OEM's UK production base, which includes a plan which will safeguard or create 800 UK jobs and investments of over £200m ($272m).

The UK government has stressed the need for industrial knock-on benefits from the country's world-leading offshore wind programme.

“We achieved a successful result at the CfD auction, thanks to a business case that was designed through collaboration with the supply chain and which puts cost reduction, low cost generation and UK content at the forefront of our project,” said James Cotter, Triton Knoll project director.

“MHI Vestas is absolutely central to our business plan, which aims to deliver at least 50% UK content over the lifetime of the project, while creating significant value for the UK and energy consumers from the delivery of our wind farm.”

MHI Vestas' state-of-the-art blade factory on the Isle of Wight, off southern England, opened in 2011 and produces the turbine’s 80-metre blades for projects in the UK and throughout northern Europe. The continued investment in the UK by the company was a significant factor in the selection of MHI Vestas as a preferred supplier to the project, said a statement.

Innogy said the project is expected to cost about £2bn with a final investment decision due in 2018 and commissioning in 2021. First energy generation could start as early as mid-2021.

Triton Knoll, a UK Round 2 project, is located around 32km off the Lincolnshire coast and 45km from North Norfolk. Innogy parent group RWE was awarded the lease to the development area by the Crown Estate in 2003.

The project received offshore development consent from the UK government in 2013 at its original planned scale of up to 1.2GW. In September last year consent was also given for the electrical infrastructure linking the wind farm to National Grid’s substation at Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire.

Local reparations for Triton Knoll’s start of onshore work are well underway, and a full programme of onshore survey works is being completed, while some key early works are being prepared to pave the way for construction later.

The project is a 50/50 joint venture between Innogy and Statkraft. Although Statkraft announced at the end of 2015 it would be stopping further involvement in new projects in offshore wind, it has continued to assist in getting Triton Knoll through the CfD process.

Wind

Innogy lines up MHI Vestas 9.5MW turbine for UK's Triton Knoll