The initial phase of Orsted’s 1200MW Hornsea 1 offshore wind farm has met an operational milestone under the terms of the Contract for Difference awarded to it.
Around 400MW of the wind farm’s capacity has passed the tests required for the Low Carbon Contracts Company’s (LCCC) operational conditions precedent, including a confirmed start date of 2 May and is now receiving CfD payments.
LCCC is the designated counterparty for CfD for contracts awarded to generators under the government’s CfD scheme.
In its role as counterparty, LCCC is governed by its guiding principle to “maintain investor confidence in the CfD scheme and minimise costs to consumers”, contributing to the government’s objectives of ensuring the UK has reliable, affordable and clean electricity.
Hornsea 1 is being developed in the North Sea off the coast of Yorkshire, 120km off the UK’s east coast.
The wind farm will be fully operational in 2020.
Earlier this month Orsted hit the halfway point of the turbine installation campaign for the project, installing and commissioning around 87 of the project’s 174 Siemens Gamesa turbines.
Fred Olsen Windcarrier jack-up Bold Tern and DEME Offshore Sea Challenger vessel will continue to install hardware from the project’s turbine marshalling port at Alexandra Dock in Hull.
LCCC manages a portfolio of Contracts for Difference (CfDs) with low carbon generators, collectively building over 13GW of new capacity.