Blyth Offshore Wind Farm

55°08′09″N 01°29′25″W / 55.13583°N 1.49028°W / 55.13583; -1.49028StatusDecommissioned & RemovedCommission dateDecember 2000Decommission dateMarch 2019Construction cost€4.6 millionOwner(s)E.ON
Shell Renewables
NUON
Border WindOperator(s)E.ON
EDF EnergyWind farm TypeOffshoreMax. water depth6–11 m (20–36 ft)Distance from shore1.6 km (1.0 mi)Hub height62 m (203 ft)Rotor diameter66 m (217 ft)Rated wind speed17 m/s (38 mph)Power generation Units operational2 x 2 MWMake and modelVestas: V66-2.0 MWNameplate capacity4 MWExternal linksCommonsRelated media on Commons

Blyth Offshore Wind Farm was a small coastal wind farm located 0.5 miles (0.80 km) off the coast of Blyth, Northumberland, England.

History

Commissioned in December 2000 as a pilot project, the project was developed by a consortium that included E.ON, Shell Renewables, NUON and Border Wind. E.ON were in charge of operating the farm.^[1][2]

The project was the UK's first offshore wind farm, following the Vindeby in 1991 and Tunø in 1995, as well as being the largest offshore turbines erected in the world at the time.^[3] It helped pave the way for more than 2700 bigger offshore turbines installed in British waters since then.^[4]

The wind farm was decommissioned (as required by authorities) in 2019. One turbine went for spare parts, while the other was re-erected as a training facility in Blyth harbour.^[4]

In 2012 there were plans to add a 100 MW test facility of 15 turbines at Blyth and nearby Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, supported by a government grant. The site would be administered by The National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec), based in Blyth.^[5] The test facility received planning consent in November 2013.^[6] It was planned with the Vestas V164-8MW and 66 kV cables.^[7]

The turbines have been decommissioned and replaced with five turbines further off shore.^[8] In 2021, Tenaga Nasional from Malaysia became part owner.^[9]

Design and specification

The farm consisted of two Vestas V66 2 MW turbines.^[3]

The foundations consisted of 3m diameter monopiles. Due to the nature of the rock reef on which the farm was sited the process was to drill a 3.25m diameter socket into the bedrock. The piles were then positioned centrally in the socket and grout was pumped into the annulus to complete the foundation.^[10]

References

External links

Generating
sites

Biomass	Active Biomass Energy Centre Lynemouth Wilton 10 Proposed BEI-Teesside Billingham North Blyth Tees Tyne REP
Coal	Closed Berwick upon Tweed Blyth Carville Chopwell Colliery Close Consett Darlington Derwenthaugh Coke Works Dunston Forth Banks Horden Colliery Lemington Lynemouth Mainsforth Colliery Manors Neptune Bank Newburn Steelworks North Tees Pandon Dene Philadelphia South Shore Road South Shields Stella Sunderland Whinfield Cancelled Blyth Clean Coal Eston Grange Kepier
Gas	Active Seal Sands Wilton Closed Teesside Proposed Thor Cogeneration Whitetail Clean Energy Wilton Cancelled Newburn
Hydro	Active Derwent Kielder Closed Cragside
Nuclear	Active Hartlepool Cancelled Druridge Bay
Oil	Active Wilton
Waste	Active Teesside Wilton 11 Closed Blaydon Burn Derwenthaugh Coke Works Newburn Steelworks Portrack Whinfield Proposed North Eastern Energy Recovery Centre Cancelled Blyth
Wind	Active Blyth Harbour Blyth Offshore Great Eppleton Holmside Hall Langley Park North Steads Teesside Trimdon Grange West Durham Proposed Kielder

Organisations
and personnel