Project Overview 

Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm

The Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm (SSO) has a capacity of 317 MW. It is situated in the Greater Wash, approximately 17 km from Sheringham and 23 km from the northern shoreline of Cromer in eastern England.

Scira Offshore has built the SSO farm with an investment of NKR 10 billion (USD 1.8 billion). Scira Offshore collaborates with Norwegian energy companies Statoil (50%) and Statkraft (50%).

The onshore installation of the wind farm commenced in the third quarter of 2009, while the offshore installation started on 9 March 2010. It was officially inaugurated in September 2012.

In December 2017, Statcraft sold its stake in the Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm to UK fund manager Equitix. Equinor, Green Investment Group, and Equitix are partners in the joint venture firm Scira Offshore Energy Limited.

The SSO wind farm aligned with the UK government's objective of generating 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Also read: Top 7 Floating Offshore Wind Projects in United Kingdom (UK)

Project Background 

The table below presents the chronological sequence of events for the wind project,

The Crown Estate has granted a 50-year lease on the sea bed. The wind farm has a lifespan of 20 years. After the completion of its lifespan, the developer must decommission it under the 2004 Energy Act. The developer's proposed decommissioning plan called for removing the wind turbines and cutting the foundations at the seabed level or lower while leaving the inter-array cables on the surface. 

Also read: Equinor Approves to Expand Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms in UK

Project Scope 

The Sheringham Shoal Wind Station is one of the largest offshore wind farms in the UK. The construction of the farm started in 2009 and was completed in 2012. Equinor currently operates the farm. Scaria Offshore, a joint venture between Norwegian energy companies Statoil and Statkraft, built it. The wind farm has been constructed with the following features: 

• It has a capacity of 317 megawatts.
• There are roughly 88 wind turbines, each having a capacity of 3.6 megawatts, and they cover an area of around 8648.69 acres. They provide renewable energy to approximately 280,000 houses. 
• The turbines operate automatically at wind speeds ranging from 3-5 m/s (meters per second) and gradually increase their power output until the wind speed reaches 13-14 m/s. The system stops functioning if the average wind speed rises above 25 m/s.
• The length of the turbine blades is 52 meters (170 ft). 
• The height of the turbine tower is 80 meters (262 feet).
• Wind turbines are installed on foundations fixed to the ocean floor. 
• The two offshore substations each weigh 900 tons. 
• A new substation at Salle, located close to Cawston, is connected to the wind farm by a 21.6-kilometer underground cable. The cable comprises two 132-kilovolt marine cables that come ashore at Weybourne.
• The power is carried to Norwich from the new substation, which is then connected to the National Grid before use.

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Location Details  

Project location

The Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm in the UK is in the Greater Wash. It is approximately 17 to 23 kilometers away from the Norfolk coast, to the north of the coastal town of Sheringham. The site was selected due to the following reasons:

• It lies within a region approved by the government for development.
• It is advantageous in terms of high wind speeds.
• It has water depths that are beneficial.
• It is characterized by a relatively low level of fishing activity.
• It provides reliable access to important locations.
• It offers a variety of grid connection options.
• It is located outside of areas that have been recognized as scientifically protected.

Project Investors 

Equinor and Equitix Offshore 5 own the SSO wind farm. Equitix Offshore 5 is jointly owned by Equitix and the Renewable Investment Group TRIG, with TRIG holding an indirect ownership stake of 14.7%. Statoil ASA possesses a 40% stake in the project, while Green Investment Group, under Macquarie Group's management, has a 20% stake. The project received a joint investment of USD 1.2 billion from Norwegian owners Statkraft and Statoil. The European Investment Bank (EIB) contributed around USD 400 million in funding. 

Power Purchase Agreement

The project's generated power is supplied to Danske Commodities in a power purchase agreement that spans 15 years, starting in 2019. The capacity has been contracted to 126 megawatts (MW).

Contractors Involved 

The following contractors were involved in the construction of this offshore wind park in the UK,

• A deal worth USD 88.1 million was signed between AREVA and Statoil in 2008. The contract included the delivery of two offshore substations and a gas-insulated onshore substation. Additionally, AREVA was awarded the contract to supply transformers, circuit breakers, and reactive power compensation, all of which contribute to the support of variations that occur when the wind farm is producing power.
• AREVA awarded a subcontract for designing two offshore stations for Wood Group Engineering (North Sea).
• In April of 2008, a contract worth USD 25.8 million was given to Nexans, a cable firm, to supply 22 kilometers of 145 kV cross-linked polyethylene underwater export cables, spare cable and equipment, and an optical fiber cable. In April 2009, the company was awarded another contract worth USD 15.8 million to supply 81 kilometers of infield cables and tools.
• In 2009, Siemens Energy was awarded a contract worth USD 597 million to supply wind turbines. Siemens also serviced the turbines of the wind farm for five years.
• Visser and Smit Marine Contracting and Global Marine Systems were awarded the contract to install the submarine cables. Carillion, a support services provider, carried out the onshore cable installation.
• MT Højgaard supplied 90 offshore foundations for the turbines and two substations. 

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Benefits of the Project

Here are some of the benefits associated with the SSO offshore wind farm,

Reducing CO2 emissions 

The farm consists of 88 wind turbines that produce approximately 1.1 TWh annually. This amount of clean energy is sufficient to provide power for about 220,000 households in the United Kingdom. Compared to fossil fuels, there is a decrease in CO2 emissions of 475,200 metric tons annually.

Job Creation

Seven hundred direct and indirect jobs were created during the construction phase of the wind farm. It further helped in creating fifty permanent jobs in the surrounding neighborhood.

Shift to Renewable Energy 

SSO uses wind energy, which is a sustainable and non-polluting renewable energy source. Additionally, it is a prominent technique for reducing CO2 emissions and aiding in climate change prevention.

Also read: Top Five Upcoming Offshore Wind Farm Power Projects in United Kingdom (UK)

Conclusion

The Sheringham Shoal wind farm, an offshore facility, has been operational in the UK for over ten years. The project was completed in 2012. The facility has demonstrated the efficacy of the efforts invested in its construction by the generated benefits and funds. 

SSO is an outcome of the United Kingdom's dedication to renewable energy. It ranks as one of the largest offshore wind farms in the country. It has contributed significantly to the nation's renewable energy objectives by supplying thousands of households with pure energy and reducing CO2 emissions. 

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