Offshore Construction Start

Offshore construction for the Walney 2 phase of the Walney Offshore Windfarm effectively commenced on 9 April 2011, when the first monopile foundation for the project was installed at the site in the Irish Sea, approximately 15 km west of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The heavy-lift installation vessel Svanen carried out this inaugural foundation installation, marking the transition from development and planning into full offshore construction activity for the 51-turbine phase. This milestone represented the start of the main physical works at sea for Walney 2, moving the project from preparation into tangible asset build-out. Following this first monopile installation, the offshore construction campaign progressed rapidly. All 51 monopiles for Walney 2 were installed in less than three months, with the final monopile successfully driven into the seabed on 2 July 2011, after which Svanen demobilised from the site. A secondary technical summary notes that offshore construction for Walney Phase 2 is considered to have begun in March 2011, with the overall installation of 51 turbines – including monopiles and complete turbines – completed in 5 months and 14 days. This fast-track programme, benefiting from experience and resource commonality with Walney Phase 1, enabled Walney 2 to move swiftly toward subsequent milestones such as first power export and full operational status in 2012, consolidating its role in Ørsted’s UK offshore wind portfolio.