The world's largest offshore wind farm - the London Array, based off the Kent coat - is nearing completion, engineers say.
VIDEO: The world's largest off-shore windfarm off the North Kent coast made history today, supplying its first electricity to the National Grid. And it announced plans for expansion, that will bring more jobs and investment to the South East.
On Meridian Tonight at 6pm we're above the world's largest windfarm in the Thames Estuary. We hear about the plans for expansion - and what it will mean for jobs in the south east.
Engineers have announced that the first power had been produced at the London Array offshore windfarm.
The 630MW scheme, located in the Thames Estuary, will be the world’s largest and has been under construction since March 2011.
Developers DONG energy, E.ON and Masdar said today that 151 of the 175 turbines have been installed, with construction on schedule to be finished by the end of the year.
Together they will produce enough power to supply over 470,000 UK homes.
Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Gordon Henderson has visited the site at HMP Standford Hill where two wind turbines will be built.
He told reporters: “If agreement can be reached for them to supply power to Sheppey’s prisons, this will reduce their energy bills and be a further saving to taxpayers.”
Turbines at the London Array are more than 80% complete, engineers say.
Work on the world's largest offshore windfarm, based off the Kent coat, began in 2006. We'll be getting a bird's eye view of the construction later today.