E ON : First turbine installed at Rampion

The construction of Rampion Offshore Wind Farm enters into its final phase. At the weekend the first of 116 wind turbines was installed for the project based in the English Channel off the coast of Sussex.

For the installation each tower with a length of 80 metres, weighing approximately 200 tonnes, is positioned and bolted onto each turbine foundation. Next the nacelle, which houses the generator and gearbox, is fitted onto the tower, and finally the three blades, each measuring 55m in length, are hoisted and connected one at a time.

During spring, offshore cabling work will continue. Onshore construction of the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) base at Newhaven Port will commence in March. The O&M base will include offices and warehousing and will employ up to 60 full time, permanent staff and store spare parts and tools to support the maintenance of the turbines.

The 400MW project being built by E.ON, the UK Green Investment Bank plc and Canadian energy company Enbridge, will, when complete provide enough electricity to supply almost 347,000 homesa year, equivalent to around half the homes in Sussex. The project is due to be completed and fully operational in 2018.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by E.ON Group management and other information currently available to E.ON. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. E.ON SE does not intend, and does not assume any liability whatsoever, to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.