Wind Energy – Greater Gabbard
Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm celebrates its 10-year anniversary of generating clean energy today.
All 140 turbines of the joint venture between SSE Renewables (50%) and RWE Renewables (50%) have been operational since September 2012 and in the last 10 years, they have generated enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of over 400,000 UK homes each year.
Located in the North Sea, around 20km off the coast of Suffolk, the 504MW Greater Gabbard has produced over 17,487GWh so far which has helped significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and contribute to the UK Government’s net zero ambitions.
SSE Renewables is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the wind farm, based out of the dedicated Greater Gabbard Operations and Maintenance base at Lowestoft in Suffolk. A total of around 100 jobs have been created to support the wind farm’s operation, with 95% of those recruited from the local area. This was in addition to the hundreds of jobs created during construction.
Greater Gabbard has engaged 10 apprentices since the start of the operation, offered junior engineer roles, and employed ex-fishermen on crew transfer vessels as part of the drive to find locally skilled people to fill roles.
