View our new 3D animation to see how we’re building London Array – from how we install the foundations, cables to the turbines themselves and how the power is exported back to the UK Grid.
Vist our video library for more animation and films.
The project updates
See how we’re building London Array
Change of chartered depths – Kentish Flats and Britned Crossings
At the cable crossing with Kentish Flats and Britned rocks have been placed to protect the cables. The placement of the rocks has changed the chartered depth at these crossing. Click here to download more information.
Energy and the elements
London Array is proud to be sponsoring Turner Contemporary’s unique exhibition, celebrating JMW Turner’s portrayal of the elements. The exhibition brings together over 80 water colours and 12 oil paintings depicting Turner’s exploration and the importance of the classical elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
The exhibition which was opened by Jon Snow on 28th January runs until 13 May 2012. The Turner Contemporary, Rendezvous, Margate, is open Tuesday to Sunday and bank holidays from 10 am to 6pm.
London Array is working closely with Turner Contemporary to support their programme of learning activities for the local community and schools.
For more information visit turnercontemporary.org.
First turbines installed at London Array
At the end of January the first of 175 turbines was installed at London Array, the worlds’s largest offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary. Three turbines have now been installed by Sea Worker, a jack-up installation vessel. Sea Worker will be joined by MPI Discovery, a new build self-propelled jack-up vessel, which will also install turbines at London Array.
To keep up to date with the latest construction updates click here.
£3,000 a year towards your tuition fees
Students living in, or near to, the parish of Graveney with Goodnestone who are looking to go to university to study a subject related to sustainable development, science or engineering, can now apply to the 2012/13 London Array University Bursary Scheme.
The scheme, which forms part of our wider community benefits package, was launched in September 2010. It offers one bursary of £3,000 per year, index-linked, for a period of three years. The scheme will run until 2019 academic year.
Click here to find out more or download an application form. Application forms can also be requested by emailing Nick Jordan, Head of Student Awards at Kent County Council, at Nick.Jordan@kent.gov.uk. The closing date for applications is 21 May 2012.
Name a boat to win a prize
If so you could win an overnight VIP trip and £500 for your school.
The challenge is to come up with a name for the third and final crew transfer vessel being supplied by Gardline to service London Array from our base at Ramsgate Port.
The 17m aluminium catamaran, or Alicat - specifically designed to transfer technicians to offshore sites – is due to enter service in early summer and will operate from Ramsgate alongside two other Gardline boats already at work, the Marianarray and the Smeaton Array, but there’s no reason why the third vessel has to have ‘array’ in its name.
Students can be as creative as possible in their suggestions, but the judges suggest they consider the local area and its features, links to renewable energy, the marine environment or science and technology when thinking of a name. The winning name will be picked by a panel from London Array and Gardline, who operate the vessel and who has teamed up with London Array to offer local youngsters the chance to name the third and final vessel, with final approval given by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
The successful student will not only win £500 for their school, but also an overnight trip for themselves and their immediate families or guardians to Gardline’s shipyard in Great Yarmouth over the summer holidays.
The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or under who is at school or college in Thanet. Entries are limited to one per person and can be sent by email to Joanne.Haddon@eon-uk.com, by post to Joanne Haddon, London Array Ltd, Construction Management, Port of Ramsgate, Military Road, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 9LG or via the contact us section on www.londonarray.com. Entries must include the student’s age and school or college. The closing date is Friday 23 March 2012.
London Array Design gets thumbs up
The new type of wind turbine foundation design used by London Array has been given the seal of approval by industry certification experts DNV.
Photo shows (left to right): Jens Wittrock Bonefeld, DONG Energy; Aart Schreij, Masdar Power; Adrian Chatterton, E.ON; Søren Thorbjørn Larsen, London Array; and Ioannis Kourmatzis, DNV.
London Array is among the first in the world to use a conical joint at the top of its monopiles to prevent transition piece slippage.
The design was undertaken in parallel with a separate joint industry project established to overcome problems that have been reported on some monopile foundations. DNV has now formally approved the new design and also issued statements of compliance to cover the rest of the turbine and offshore substation design.
London Array Project Manager, Soren Thorbjorn Larsen said, “The construction and design of what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm is a major technical and engineering challenge, and we have paid close attention from the very beginning to ensuring that we got the design absolutely right.
“As well as dealing with new industry issues, such as how to safeguard against foundation grouting and slippage problems, we have had to take into account the wide variation in water depths and moveable seabed across the wind farm site.
“On behalf of the project team and the consortium behind London Array, I was delighted to receive formal certification and expert recognition that London Array meets the highest industry standards.
“The designs we have helped pioneer look set to become new best practice for offshore wind.”
The new foundation design features a gently sloping cone at the top of the monopile which then sits inside an inverted cone at the bottom of the transition piece. A layer of grout lies between the two surfaces.
“The sheer scale of this wind farm marks a major step in the evolution of offshore wind and it has been an honour to be part of this milestone project and to work with the highly skilled and professional staff from London Array, its contractors and designers,” said DNV Project Manager, Andreas G. Jensen.
Tashtastic team raise over £2,000 for Movember
The beginning of November saw clean-shaven faces at London Array. However since then the Mo Bros at London Array have been growing, trimming and waxing their way to a variety of tashtactic tash’s!
The team registered to take part in the Movember campaign and throughout November were raising awareness and sponsorship to support the number one and two male specific cancers – prostate and testicular cancer.
Through their efforts the London Array team raised over £2,000 for Movember. Funds raised as part of the Movember campaign are directed to programmes run directly by Movember and their men’s health partners, The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research. Together, these channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programmes in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research.
Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.
Click here for more information on Movember
DONG Energy recruiting for Wind Turbine Technicians at London Array
Dong Energy, appointed to operate and maintain London Array, is looking to recruit people to work on the Operation and Maintenance of the wind farm.
London Array is a joint venture between Dong Energy, E.ON and Masdar. Dong Energy will operate London Array on behalf of the consortium with successful applicants employed by Dong Energy and be based in Ramsgate, Kent. The closing date for applications is 9 December 2011.
Click here for more information on the role.
Click here to go to the DONG Energy website.
Enjoy a safe walk to the coast
Local rambles can now enjoy a traffic-free walk from Faversham to Seasalter with the completion of an off-road route. The final part of the circular route was completed with the opening of a half-mile stretch on land owned by London Array at its substation at Graveney to the Sportsman pub at Seasalter.
The route is part of the bigger Faversham Food Trails Initiative, led by Faversham Enterprise Partnership (FEP) and managed by Kent County Council, that has seen eight new walking routes open this year, attracting an extra 23,000 walkers to the area and delivering a £200,000 boost to the local economy.
The group taking a walk along the new footpath
Matt Britton, Commercial and Operations Manager at London Array, said: “We’re delighted that by opening up a section of our land to public access we have helped to contribute to the success of a much broader scheme that brings environmental, safety and economic benefits to the area. We are keen to ensure that our presence at Graveney benefits the local community and our support for this scheme is in addition to the £850,000 package to support local environmental, educations and community projects.”
London Array’s Matt Britton, County Council Member and Leader of Swale Borough Council Andrew Bowles and Manager of the Faversham Enterprise Business Partnership Laurence Young with members of the Parish Council and Kent County Council Officers at the opening of the new footpath.
Click here to find out more about local walks.
