Eon has officially opened the 400MW Rampion offshore wind farm off the south coast of England.
The project features 116 MHI Vestas V112 3.45MW turbines located between 13km and 20km off the coast of Sussex.
Rampion has taken three years to construct, with 750 people working on the project at peak times.
It has been fully operational since the Spring of this year and is the first Round 3 to be completed, Eon said.
Other shareholders in the wind farm are Canadian company Enbridge and a consortium comprising the Green Investment Group, Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5 and the Universities Superannuation Scheme.
Eon UK chief executive Michael Lewis said: “Wind power, both onshore and offshore, continues to prove itself as a key part of the UK’s future energy mix and sits as a cost-effective alternative to higher carbon forms of power generation.
“Not only will Rampion play a vital role in helping the UK meet its commitment to decarbonise the energy sector but it will continue to support the local economy, sparking the regeneration of Newhaven port, sustaining highly skilled roles including apprenticeships as well as introducing the £3.1m Rampion Fund for community organisations and projects over the next decade.”
Project investment will continue into next year with the opening of a visitor centre on the Brighton seafront by summer 2019.
The centre will house interactive displays for visitors to learn more about climate change, offshore wind and Rampion.
UK energy and clean growth minister Claire Perry said: “It’s great to see the south coast’s first offshore wind farm opening, powering around 350,000 homes, creating hundreds of high quality jobs and building on our reputation as a world leader in this sector.
“As part of our modern Industrial Strategy we’ve set out a further £557m of funding for new renewable projects like this, helping to tackle climate change and deliver clean growth to local economies.
“We’re putting the finishing touches to our offshore wind sector deal that will see this sector go from strength to strength for years to come.”
Green Investment Group associate director Matt Porter said: “As the UK’s world leading offshore wind fleet continues to grow in size and complexity, it’s becoming increasingly critical to match the right capital with the right project.
“That’s what we’ve achieved here with Rampion, enabling the first offshore wind project off the UK’s south coast to come to life.
“Projects like Rampion simply aren’t possible without the skill, dedication and vision of a huge number of people. Together, we’ve delivered a world class development which will bring low-carbon electricity to the UK for many years to come. We’re incredibly proud of Rampion and I hope, like its namesake, it’s a source of pride for the whole of Sussex.”
Enbridge chief development officer Vern Yu said: “The opening of Rampion today represents a milestone for Enbridge.
“This project is our first offshore wind farm and a significant achievement for our company and our partners. Rampion is a key part of our commitment to Enbridge’s future in European offshore renewables, as we continue to progress additional investments in Germany and France.”