E.ON decommissions Blyth offshore wind farm
Britain’s first offshore wind farm reaches end of technical lifespan
Shortly before dismantling: Blyth, Great Britain's first wind farm.
E.ON is decommissioning an offshore wind farm for the first time. Blyth's two 2-megawatt turbines were the UK's first offshore wind farm and have reached the end of their technical lifespan. A consortium including E.ON built the turbines off the Northumberland coast in 2000. During its operational lifetime, Blyth generated enough electricity to supply 2,000 households with renewable energy and saved 4,520 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year.
Blyth ushered in a new era of renewable technologies. As an offshore wind pioneer, E.ON used this example to lay the foundation for the future of the technology. It has undergone rapid development. Since then, E.ON alone has installed a further 600 offshore wind turbines in the seas of northern Europe.
The legacy of the first British offshore wind farm is a test area in the Blyth region for the construction, operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms. This hub for innovation at sea is a starting point which has seen the UK subsequently develop into a world leader in offshore wind.
The dismantling work will start in April and is expected to take four to six weeks. One of the turbines will be recycled and reused for spare parts within E.ON's onshore fleet and the other will be used for training purposes by the Port of Blyth.
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