OREANDA-NEWS. Two E.ON offshore wind farms are gradually coming online, further increasing the economic significance of the company’s renewables business. Humber Gateway began exporting power to the U.K. grid at the end of February. Now Amrumbank West, which is located in the German North Sea, has also started producing power. The power from the first of its 3.6 megawatt turbines flows to an offshore transformer and converter platform from which it is exported via a 85-kilometer subsea cable, which comes ashore near B?sum, about 100 kilometers northwest of Hamburg.

The installation of turbines is moving forward. Humber Gateway will be completed this summer, Amrumbank West this fall. The two farms will have an aggregate capacity of more than 500 megawatts. Both projects are on schedule. Amrumbank West recently achieved another important milestone with the installation of the last of the foundations for its 80 turbine towers. The service center on Helgoland island, from which the operation and maintenance of the wind farm is monitored and managed, has also been completed. The building provides 35 workstations, storage space and helicopter hangar nearby.

Eckhardt R?mmler, CEO of E.ON’s Renewables unit, sees the successful progress as evidence of the company’s offshore capabilities: “The simultaneous development of large-scale projects in the waters of different countries demonstrates our ability to meet substantial challenges and solidifies our position as a leading offshore wind company. The synergies and experience from the two projects will help us make this technology more economic.”

E.ON, which has invested more than €9.5 billion in renewables since 2007, is the world’s number three company in offshore wind power. Together, Amrumbank West and Humber Gateway wind farms will be able to supply about 470,000 households with green power and will displace 1.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.