Sofia, an offshore wind farm of RWE in the UK, will benefit from a construction base located on the port of Blyth.
A wind power project in the North Sea
Sofia a 1.4GW offshore wind farm is one of the largest offshore wind projects in the world. Commissioned in December 2000, Blyth was home to the UK’s first offshore wind pilot project. At the time, E.ON Climate and Renewables, now part of RWE, operated the site.
Blyth will now be at the heart of the management of the Sofia wind farm’s offshore construction activities. The wind farm is located 195 kilometers off the British coast on Dogger Bank. Matthew Swanwick, RWE Sofia Project Manager, states:
“The selection of the base for the Sofia offshore build was a key decision as it will house the team for more than three years and will play a critical role in the success of the project. The Port of Blyth not only provides us with a strategic location and access to a strong maritime supply chain, but also an impressive new facility that will also ensure a legacy beyond the project.”
A port base
The new offshore construction base will be located at the recently redeveloped Bates Clean Energy Terminal in Blyth. Thus, it will become the management center for RWE throughout the offshore construction phase in 2024. In addition, the Port of Blyth will maintain the site throughout the three and a half year construction period.
The Sofia offshore construction base will have direct access to the port’s wide range of services. After the completion of the base in March 2023 a service operations vessel will visit the port once every three weeks. RWE will operate the wind farm from its Grimsby hub, which is being expanded at its base on Royal Dock, Grimsby.
