Offshore
Rampion comprises 116 turbines each rated at 3.45 megawatt (MW). The hub of the turbine hosts the blades and is 80 metres above sea level.
The blade tip extends to 140 metres at full height, which compares to the maximum elevation of the viewing pod on the landmark i360 seafront attraction at Brighton and Hove (137m). The rotor diameter is 112 metres and each blade is 55m long.
The turbines sit on top of foundations, each made up of a single steel monopile and bright yellow transition piece, designed so they integrate together perfectly. They are installed in 12 strings, or rows, each with 9 to 10 turbines connected by array cables that join in to a single offshore substation.
The power generated by the wind turbines is transported to the substation at 33 kilovolts (kV), via a total of 140 kilometres of array cables buried underneath the seabed.
The offshore substation enables the wind farm to operate more efficiently and reduce energy losses, by transforming electricity from 33kV up to 150kV, before it is exported to shore.
The substation topside and cable deck, comprising the electrical and auxiliary equipment and control systems, together weigh around 2000 tonnes. They are installed on a four-leg jacket foundation, fixed to the seabed and weighing around 900 tonnes.
Electricity is transmitted from the substation by two 16km export cables which come to shore at the beach near Brooklands Pleasure Park, Lancing.
History
E.ON was awarded rights to develop the Zone as part of The Crown Estate’s Round 3 in June 2010. A lot has happened since.
Onshore
The electricity produced by Rampion is carried by the onshore cable from landfall at Brooklands Pleasure Park to the new substation at Twineham.
Further Developments
There are plans for a new project, known as 'Rampion 2', to be developed to expand the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm.