All 67 Siemens 6MW turbines on the 402MW Dudgeon wind farm off Norfolk are now producing electricity, according to Statoil, the operator and part owner of the offshore wind farm.

This week saw the last of the 67 wind turbines being installed on the Dudgeon field some 32 kilometres off the coast of Norfolk.

The wind farm was completed at the agreed time and below the budget of GBP 1.5 billion that was set when the investment decision was made in 2014, Statoil said.

During October, when the testing of the last turbines is expected to be completed, Statoil expects the wind farm to provide 410,000 homes in England with electricity.

“Dudgeon offshore wind farm is part of Statoil’s strategy of gradually supplementing our oil and gas portfolio with profitable renewable energy. Offshore wind has been a natural place to start, as we can build on our maritime expertise, experience from complex projects and our supplier chain. With Dudgeon in full production Statoil is well on its way to providing more than one million households in Europe with renewable electricity,” said Irene Rummelhoff, executive vice president for New Energy Solutions in Statoil.

The offshore wind farm will be operated from Statoil’s office in Great Yarmouth, which is also operating the Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm located 20 kilometres west of Dudgeon.

The Dudgeon project started its 2017 marine season record-early. On 2 January, the Sea Challenger lifting vessel mobilized in Hull, England, and lifted the first four towers, the first four nacelles and the first 12 rotor blades on board to be installed on the field.

The record for turbine installation was less than 18 hours, and the next day they were producing electricity for the grid, Statoil said.

Statoil holds a 35% share in the Dudgeon wind farm. Statkraft and Masdar are partners in the project with shares of 30% and 35%, respectively.