German energy company E.ON said it's putting the finishing touches on a wind farm project in the North Sea. Photo courtesy of E.ON

DUSSELDORF, Germany, June 5 (UPI) -- A North Sea wind farm able to meet the energy needs of up to 170,000 households will be completed two months early, German energy company E.ON said.

E.ON said it's putting the finishing touches on its Humber Gateway wind farm in the North Sea. With the final wind turbine installed, the company said it would be completed this summer, two months ahead of the original schedule.


The 73-turbine facility is located near Yorkshire and, with an installed capacity of 219 megawatts, can meet the annual energy needs of up to 170,000 households.

Germany is one of the world leaders in renewable energy, a trend emphasized after its decision to move away from nuclear power in the wake of the nuclear tragedy in Japan in 2011. The United Kingdom is close behind and, combined, the European Union has more than 100 gigawatts of wind power online.

The company's Amrumbank West wind power project in the German waters of the North Sea started producing power for the German grid in April. That followed February's transmissions to the British grid from the Humber Gateway project.

Bernhard Reutersberg, director of E.ON's renewables division, declared victory with the progress of Humber Gateway. The company, he said, is adding more to its wind energy portfolio and is making the sector competitive with other forms of energy.

"We're superbly positioned for future auctions in relevant European markets," he said in a statement.

Combined, both of E.ON's facilities will have a capacity to produce more than 500 megawatts of power once fully completed.