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Rampion Wind Farm

Coordinates: 50°39′53″N 0°16′44″W / 50.6647°N 0.2789°W / 50.6647; -0.2789
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Rampion Offshore Wind Farm
Map
Country
  • United Kingdom
LocationEnglish Channel, off the coast of Sussex
Coordinates50°39′53″N 0°16′44″W / 50.6647°N 0.2789°W / 50.6647; -0.2789
StatusOperational
Construction began2015[1]
Commission date
  • November 2017
Construction cost£1.3 billion
Wind farm
Type
Distance from shore13 km (8.1 mi)
Hub height80 m (262.5 ft)
Rotor diameter
  • 112 m (367 ft)
Site area72 km2 (27.8 sq mi)
Power generation
Units operational116 × 3.45 MW
Make and modelMHI Vestas V112-3.45 MW (116)
Nameplate capacity
  • 400 MW
External links
Websitewww.rampionoffshore.com
CommonsRelated media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]
Map
Wind farm layout

Rampion is an offshore wind farm developed by E.ON, now operated by RWE, off the Sussex coast in the UK. The wind farm has a capacity of 400 MW, although 700 MW was originally planned.[2] The wind farm was commissioned in April 2018 and was the first offshore wind farm on the south coast of England.[3][4]

Location

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Located between 13 and 25 kilometres (8 and 16 mi) from the shore, the wind farm is situated off the coast of the towns of Worthing and Shoreham-by-Sea to the west, the city of Brighton and Hove in the centre and the towns of Newhaven and Seaford in the east. The wind farm lies in a zone that is an irregular elongated area, approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi) in an east to west direction and approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) in the north to south direction, an area of 72 square kilometres (27.8 sq mi).[2][5]

Name

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Flowers of the round-headed rampion, or Pride of Sussex, the county flower of Sussex

Initially known as Zone 6 off the Sussex coast,[6] it was later named the "Southern Array" (Hastings).

When the site of the wind farm was changed from near Hastings to off Brighton, E.ON held a competition with local schools to suggest a new name as a public relations exercise. The name Rampion was voted the winning suggestion, submitted by Davison High School Pupil Megan McCullough, after the round-headed rampion (Phyteuma orbiculare), also known as the Pride of Sussex,[7] the county flower of Sussex.[6]

Planning

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E.ON's final plans use 116 turbines of approximately 3.45 MW capacity, each 140 metres (459.3 ft) high to the tip of the blade, blade length is 55m, and radius is 12m[2] which represents a 43% reduction in the size of the development after planning consent was granted.[8]

E.ON originally proposed using either 175 smaller turbines of 3–3.6 MW capacity, each 180 metres (590.6 ft) above low tide sea level, or 100 larger turbines of 7 MW capacity, each 210 metres (689.0 ft) above sea level.[6] Development and construction costs were estimated at £2 billion.[6] As the turbines are designed to last approximately 20–25 years,[6] and since E.ON's lease of the site from the Crown Estate is for 50 years, the company would eventually need to replace the turbines.[6]

After an 18 month evaluation process between Newhaven and Shoreham ports, E.ON chose Newhaven as the base for its operations and maintenance facility. The company took a lease on a site at the Port of Newhaven, where it constructed two new buildings to house the administration and engineering functions of the wind farm. The site and associated buildings act as the combined servicing point for the wind farm.[9]

The project was approved by the government in July 2014.[10] In November 2014, E.ON announced that it had reduced the proposed capacity of the project by approximately 40%.[2] Onshore construction work began in June 2015 with construction of a new electricity substation adjacent to the existing National Grid Bolney 400/132kV substation[6] near Twineham.[11] Off shore the 116 monopile foundations were piled into the sea bed and on completion of this the first wind turbine was lifted into place in March 2017. Coincident with this was the ongoing work to backfill the cable duct trenches off Lancing beach initially due to be completed in Spring 2017.[12] Installation of the remainder of the 150kV cable through to Bolney and the burying in the sea bed of the 33kV inter array cables was also completed during this time following the installation of a 2,000 tonne offshore 33/150kV substation that was completed in April 2017.[13] An excavator was stranded and disabled after completing cable trench backfilling work in April 2017;[14][15] it was removed in June 2017.[16] Electricity production commenced during November 2017.[17] Construction of the wind farm was completed in 2018 at a cost of £1.3 billion.[11][3]

Rampion 2

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Rampion 2 is a proposed second wind farm to the immediate south west of the current Rampion installation. Plans include larger wind turbines compared with the first Rampion wind farm, producing up to 1,200 megawatts of power.[18] If plans are approved construction could start in 2026.

In September 2023 the Planning Inspectorate accepted the application for examination.[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Development and construction history | History".
  2. ^ a b c d "E.ON announces final 116 turbine design for Rampion Offshore Wind Farm". E.ON. Archived from the original on 27 November 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Rampion Offshore Wind Farm Hits Full Stride". Offshore Wind. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  4. ^ "The south coast's first offshore wind farm". Rampion Offshore Wind. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Rampion - 116 turbines to be built". 4C Offshore. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Rampion Offshore Wind Farm Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), February 2012" (PDF). E.ON. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  7. ^ "Five Fascinating Facts about . . . Ditchling Beacon". Sussex Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  8. ^ "E.on cuts Rampion by 43%". WPO Intelligence. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Newhaven Port reveals how the Rampion wind farm will help secure its future". Sussex Express. 12 October 2012. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  10. ^ "Rampion offshore wind farm approved by government". BBC News. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Rampion wind farm construction gets under way". BBC News. 18 May 2015.
  12. ^ James, Ben. "First giant turbines installed at wind farm". The Argus. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  13. ^ "2,000-tonne substation is installed at Rampion wind farm". Worthing Herald.
  14. ^ "Lancing Beach wind farm excavator stranded at sea". BBC News. 11 April 2017.
  15. ^ "Turbine installaton almost at halfway mark" (PDF). 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2017.
  16. ^ Ryan, Siobhan. "Moby Dig: £850,000 digger stuck in the sea finally removed". The Argus.
  17. ^ James, Ben. "Milestone as Rampion generates first power". The Argus. Newsquest. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  18. ^ "Home - Rampion 2". 18 November 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  19. ^ "Rampion 2 Offshore Wind Farm | National Infrastructure Planning". infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
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