19 December 2012

With all turbines in place and 43 connected and supplying power to the national grid, the wind farm, which is being mooted as the “world’s largest offshore wind farm”, is on track to be fully operational in spring 2013, the companies said. The end of turbine installation work, which began in January 2012, ends major construction activities at the site.

Benj Sykes, head of DONG Energy's UK wind business, said: "Having the final turbine installed is another landmark in this flagship project for the UK and for DONG Energy. The London Array will soon be the largest operational offshore wind farm in the world - building offshore wind farms of this size and larger in the future allows us to harvest the advantages of scale and is an important element of our strategy to drive down the cost of energy."

The wind farm has been generating energy since October 2012 when the first turbine began producing power.

In 2012 84 foundations, 175 wind turbines, 178 array cables and three export cables were installed at the project. London Array is now focusing on the commissioning and testing of the remaining turbines before the project is handed over to the operations and maintenance team in 2013.

Tony Cocker, chief executive officer of E.ON UK, said: "Today is another significant milestone for London Array and the UK as the installation of the final turbine brings us one step closer to the completion of the world's largest offshore wind farm."

London Array is being built 20km off the coasts of Kent and Essex. The wind farm will be installed on a 245 square km site and will be built in two phases. Phase One covers comprises 175 turbines with a combined capacity of 630MW. If approved, the second phase will add enough capacity to bring the total to 870MW.

The project is owned by DONG Energy, with a 50% stake, E.ON with a 30% stake and Abu-Dhabi’s state-owned investment fund Masdar, which has a 20% stake.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, chief executive officer of Masdar, said: "This milestone brings us a step closer to showcasing the economic, social and environmental benefits of clean energy. London Array is a testament to how collaboration, the right policies and a commitment to sustainability can advance the new energy industry."