The first transformer has arrived at the onshore substation for the 857MW Triton Knoll offshore wind farm off the east coast of England.
The Siemens-made unit was manufactured in Austria and was transported by sea to Sutton Bridge port in Lincolnshire before being lifted onto a trailer for transport to the substation site at Bicker Fen.
Siemens said that once the transformers are skidded into position, the installation of associated electrical equipment will begin.
Triton Knoll will have two 13-metre long and four-metre wide transformers.
Once the other associated electrical equipment has been added, the transformers will double in size to 26 metres long, 6.6 metres wide and weigh 240 tonnes, Siemens said.
Triton Knoll project director at Siemens Transmission and Distribution Phil Manley said: “The transformers are one of the most important parts of the onshore substation site.
“Without the transformer, the power generated by the offshore wind farm would not be able to be transmitted into the grid.
“I’m delighted that we’ve reached this stage according to the project schedule.”
Project director for Triton Knoll at Innogy Julian Garnsey said: “This is a significant milestone in the construction of the Triton Knoll onshore substation, which sits at the very heart of our project.
“We’ve made major progress in the last year, with the substation platform, foundations and infrastructure taking real shape on site.
“We’re now preparing to start offshore construction in the first quarter of 2020, so the installation of this impressive equipment ensures we stay on track to become a major UK state-of-the-art renewable energy generator, typically powering over 800,000 UK homes.”