
News & Media
25th October 2024
KEY MILESTONE REACHED IN DEVELOPMENT OF RWE SOFIA OFFSHORE WIND FARM
The Port of Tyne plays a crucial role in the development of the RWE Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, one of the world's largest offshore wind projects, which will power 1.2 million UK homes upon completion. The Tyne Clean Energy Park serves as the storage and marshalling base, supporting Van Oord’s installation vessel, Aeolus, as it constructs the wind farm’s foundations. Since May, over a quarter of the project's 100 turbine foundations have been installed, with key components continuously arriving at the port. This collaboration marks significant progress toward the UK’s 2030 clean energy goals, positioning the North East as a hub for renewable energy projects.
As we continue making strides in the construction of one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms, the RWE Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, the Port of Tyne plays a pivotal role in this transformative project. Located in the North Sea, once complete, Sofia will power the equivalent of 1.2 million UK homes.
Our Tyne Clean Energy Park has been selected as the storage and marshalling base, with Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel, Aeolus, now a familiar sight along the River Tyne. Standing as the tallest vessel ever to dock here, it represents the scale of the project and our commitment to a clean energy future.
Since May, over a quarter of the foundations for Sofia’s 100 wind turbines have been installed. These colossal structures, measuring up to 90 meters in length and weighing as much as 1,550 tonnes, are being carefully positioned in the North Sea. Meanwhile, key turbine components—including external platforms, boat landings, and ladders—have already arrived at our port, with more on the way as monopile deliveries continue into 2025.
The Port is the chosen base for a key player in the renewables sector, Van Oord, which is handling this phase of the Sofia project, managing the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the foundations and inter-array cables.
The Dutch firm has been using our Tyne Clean Energy Park as a storage and marshalling base, benefitting from direct access to its deep-water quay and connection to the North Sea.
As part of Van Oord’s operations, we have been welcoming the tallest offshore installation vessel in its history, the Aeolus. Purpose-built to construct offshore wind farms, the Aeolus has a crane boom height of 155 metres and is 175 metres in length, which is the equivalent of more than 14 double decker buses. The Aeolus calls at the port regularly to collect new items for installation offshore as well as to take on provisions for its team.
Matt Beeton, CEO at the Port of Tyne, said: “Since partnering with Van Oord earlier this year, real strides have been made in their construction of Sofia, accelerating the region’s path towards a clean energy future. Projects like this are key to achieving the UK’s 2030
clean energy goals, and the North East is perfectly placed to support in the development of these sites, with our direct access to the North Sea. It’s why we’ve developed our Tyne Clean Energy Park, which has been earmarked for renewable energy production tenants, while supporting our intentionally ambitious vision for a cleaner, greener future, both for the Port and wider region.”
Project Director for the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, Matthew Swanwick, said: “Seeing the first foundations being installed at sea is a hugely symbolic moment in the construction of every wind farm. The Sofia project is around fourteen years in the making and the construction phase has around two further years yet to go. Achievements like this make it all worthwhile. We are proud to help build an industry that produces sustainable power at best cost to the consumer, while delivering regional economic growth.”
It is hoped that Sofia will be operational in 2026. It is 100% owned by RWE and the largest offshore wind project in its current portfolio. The Tyne Clean Energy Park is a 200-acre site which continues to be the closest major offshore wind development platform for developers operating in the North Sea.
Watch the Aeolus Video
View