Walney 1 OFTO
OperationalOffshore GridGB178 MW132 kV48 km2011
Basic information
9 fieldsAlso Known As
Walney I OFTO · Blue Transmission Walney 1 OFTO · Walney 1 Offshore Transmission Assets · Ofgem TR1 Walney 1 OFTO
Status
operational
Capacity
178 MW
Owners
Project Company
Type
offshore grid
Transmission Model
Developer Build & Transfer
Expected Life
20 years
Website
Supply Chain (11)
Project Timeline (26)
21 Oct 2011Ownership Other
Ofgem E-Serve press release dated 21 October 2011 states that Blue Transmission Walney 1 Limited "has today been granted a licence to own and operate the transmission link to the Walney 1 wind farm" and is buying the link from the developers. This confirms the formation and takeover of the dedicated OFTO entity Blue Transmission Walney 1 Ltd on that date.
Blue Transmission Walney 1 Limited
21 Oct 2011Regulatory Other
Authority: Ofgem · Licence: Planned Authority determination of final transfer value and OFTO licence grant for Walney 1 offshore transmission assets
Ofgem's final cost assessment decision document for the Walney 1 transmission assets, published 21 October 2011 (reference 139/11), sets out the assessed transfer value of £105.4m and notes that the Authority has granted an offshore transmission licence to Blue Transmission Walney 1 Limited. This confirms the Authority's determination of the final transfer value and associated regulatory decision on that date.
Sept 2011Other Permit Awarded
Licence: Section 5 consent under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 for placement of foundations, turbines and substations (FEPA: 33311/08/0)
By September 2011, the Walney Offshore Windfarm had obtained a consent under Section 5 of the Food and Environment Protection Act (FEPA) 1985 (reference FEPA: 33311/08/0) for the placement of foundations, turbines and substations, providing a key marine construction permit for offshore infrastructure including the substation assets associated with the Walney 1 OFTO export system.
5 Aug 2011Regulatory Other
On 5 August 2011, Ofgem’s draft cost assessment for the Walney 1 transmission assets determined an assessed transfer value of approximately £105.4 million (£105,411,350), representing the final stage of its three-step valuation process and providing the cost base to be used by the Authority in setting the asset transfer price for the Walney 1 OFTO under the transitional tender regime.
30 May 2011Commercial Operations Full Power
Walney 1 reached full commercial operation on 30 May 2011, when electricity from the 51st and final turbine was exported to the grid, indicating that the Walney 1 OFTO transmission system was in service at full intended capacity for all turbines in the wind farm.
Jan 2011First Power
In January 2011, the Walney 1 offshore wind farm began generating power from its first turbine, exporting electricity to the GB grid via the Walney 1 offshore transformer and export cable connection to the national grid at Heysham, marking the first power flow over the Walney 1 OFTO transmission assets.
Dec 2010Construction Other
Ofgem's draft cost assessment for the Walney 1 transmission assets explains that due to problems with the installation of the export cable, the completion date for Walney 1 was delayed from September to December 2010 and the construction period was longer than predicted. This indicates that construction of the Walney 1 transmission assets, including the offshore substation and export cable, was completed in December 2010.
Dec 2010Onss Commissioned
The Walney 1 offshore transmission assets, including the onshore substation at Heysham that forms part of the transmission system boundary, were commissioned in December 2010, marking completion of construction and readiness for operational service of the grid connection for the 184 MW Walney I offshore wind farm. Commissioning of these assets followed a construction period that had originally been planned to complete by September 2010 but was delayed to December 2010 due to export cable installation issues.
Jun 2010Substation Supplier Selected
In June 2010, Powerstream Electrical Services was engaged under a $1.1m contract to build the onshore substation at Heysham, forming the onshore interface for the Walney I export connection into the national grid.
May 2010Manufacturing Update
The first set of offshore substation steel structures and jackets supplied by Bladt Industries for the Walney 1 offshore substation, which is included in the Walney 1 OFTO transmission assets, was delivered in May 2010, marking a key fabrication and delivery milestone ahead of installation offshore.