All 150 wind turbines have now been installed at the Gemini offshore wind energy project, Northland Power announced on August 24. This marks the latest step towards completing the 600 MW project which is located in the North Sea.
"Today's announcement represents another momentous achievement on this project", said John Brace, CEO at Northland, a 60% owner in Gemini. “Congratulations to the project team on their great work. It is meaningful to all of us at Northland to see all 150 wind turbines standing, and to know that Gemini is one step closer to helping the Netherlands transition to a more sustainable future."
With installation complete, all turbines will now be connected and thoroughly tested. This process is anticipated to take several months, and the wind park is expected to become fully operational mid-2017. Throughout this period the turbines will produce power and continue to earn pre-completion revenues.
Once operational, Gemini is expected to generate enough clean and renewable energy to meet the needs of 1.5 million people in the Netherlands, and reduce the country's CO2 emissions by 1.25 million tonnes per year. The wind farm will therefore play an important role in achieving the Netherlands' and European Union's sustainable energy goals.
Gemini is located 85 kilometers from the coast of Groningen and is one of the largest wind farms in the world, in size as well as production. The project is owned by Northland (60%), Siemens Financial Services (20%), Van Oord (10%) and N.V. HVC (10%).