Name of the Project
Race Bank offshore wind farm project.

Location
The project is located off the Norfolk and Lincolnshire coast, in England.

Client
DONG Energy.

Project Description
Race Bank will be one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms.

The project involves the construction of a 580 MW wind farm, about 27 km off the east coast of the UK.

The wind farm will comprise 91 wind turbines of 6 MW each and generate enough electricity to power more than 500 000 homes.

Export cables will bring power from the wind farm to the substation on shore.

The project will result in potential carbon dioxide (CO2) savings of 830 000 t/y.

Jobs to be Created
Not stated.

Value
Not stated.

Duration
The wind farm is expected to be fully commissioned in 2018.

Latest Developments
Ecosse Subsea Systems (ESS) has completed a second major seabed clearance project on behalf of DONG Energy on what will be one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms.

The Scottish subsea technology specialist has cleared more than 3 000 boulders at the site of the Race Bank wind farm project.

ESS teams mobilised several vessels in two campaigns, including the Siem Topaz and Siem Sapphire, on a multiphased work-scope, which lasted about 175 shipping days.

ESS deployed the latest version of its SCAR 2 seabed system – a multipurpose plough capable of boulder clearing, trenching and performing various seabed route preparation works, while a multifunction remotely operated vehicle grab was used to remove boulders and debris, which were more sparsely located or situated in awkward positions.

The boulder clearing took place across the export corridor, array cable routes and turbine locations, with 30-m-plus clearance corridors created using multipass capability.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Siemens (wind turbines).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
DONG Energy, email racebank@dongenergy.co.uk.