The first turbine on Statoil’s £1.5billion Dudgeon wind farm in the North Sea has started producing electricity for the UK National Grid.
The Norwegian energy giant said the remaining 66 turbines at Dudgeon, 20 miles off the coast of Norfolk, would be up and running by the end of the year.
Once fully operational, the wind farm will provide enough power for more than 400,000 homes.
The first turbine was installed in early January and started producing electricity this week.
Margareth Ovrum, Statoil’s executive vice president for technology, projects and drilling, said: “This is a significant milestone for one of the largest offshore wind farms in Europe.
“I am particularly satisfied with the on time deliveries and the HSE performance so far”.
Statoil said Dudgeon was part of the firm’s strategy to complement its oil and gas portfolio with profitable renewable energy and other low-carbon solutions.
Stephen Bull, Statoil’s senior vice president for offshore wind, said: “Building a profitable renewable portfolio on the foundation of 40 years of oil and gas experience is a competitive advantage.
“We can leverage on our marine operations competence, our experience with complex projects and our supply chain.
“A lot of work remains, but seeing the first Dudgeon turbine producing electricity is very satisfying”
Statoil’s Dudgeon project partners are Masdar and Statkraft.
Statoil is also behind Hywind, the world’s first floating wind farm, which will come in production off Peterhead in late 2017.
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