Located in the Solway Firth, Robin Rigg, the 180MW 60-turbine offshore wind farm, was officially opened on Wednesday after generating power for the first time earlier this year.
The Robin Rigg wind farm – E.ON’s third offshore plant after Blyth and Scroby Sands – is now in full operation. According to E.ON, the Robin Rigg wind turbines will be capable of generating enough renewable energy to supply the electricity requirements of 117,000 homes each year. In the process, up to 235,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions are set to be displaced annually.
Extolling the virtues of the Robin Rigg wind farm, Michael Lewis, the European Renewables Managing Director for E.ON, said: “Marking the completion of one of the UK’s largest offshore wind farms is a proud moment for the entire team and it’s fantastic to be able to see the 60 turbines turning and generating renewable electricity.
“Working offshore always brings huge challenges, but we’ve relished the opportunity and look forward to our next major project.”
Domestic electricity consumers can avail of E.ON’s green energy ambitions by choosing its GoGreen product, which matches 100 per cent of the energy used by customers with electricity generated from renewable sources; the package also promises to offset 1 tonne of carbon dioxide emissions per gas central heating customer or household.
Commenting on the official launch of the Robin Rigg wind farm, the Rt Hon Chris Huhne MP, who is the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate change, said: “The completion of Robin Rigg brings the UK one step closer to meeting its renewable energy targets and the team should be very proud of that.
“Offshore wind is an important part of the UK’s future energy mix but also has the potential to bring a huge amount of investment to the country.
“I hope and believe that the scale of the project at Robin Rigg points to the great things to come for the industry and Great Britain.”
E.ON’s official unveiling of the Robin Rigg wind farm provides a welcome boost to the UK’s green energy aspirations amid recent negative press.
Earlier in the week, it was widely reported that energy department cuts would place a £9 billion clean coal programme at risk of being scaled back or scrapped completely.
On Wednesday, research by Dr Sarah Darby from the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI) suggested that smart meters may not result in significant household energy savings.
