Building the world’s biggest offshore wind farm

The Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms were constructed primarily using a specially designed boat called the Resolution. Resolution is 38m wide and has six legs which it sets down to secure its position on the seabed.

Monopiles, cylindrical steel foundations, form the base for the turbines. The majority of these were driven into the seabed by a hydraulic hammer. Six of the 54 foundations needed to be drilled for the monopiles to be sunk to the right depth.

Once the foundations were in place the team onboard Resolution could slide a ‘transition piece‘ over the top. This brightly coloured piece was cemented firmly onto the foundation and includes a boat landing point and maintenance platform for easy access when the turbines are operational. The bright colour is to make the structure highly visible to passing boats.

Cables were laid to connect all the turbines, and 3 subsea cables were laid 2m under the seabed connecting each wind farm to the onshore substation at Middlemarsh in Skegness.

With the foundations and cables in position the turbines could be bolted into place. The turbine towers were installed pre-fitted with their collection of ladders and lifts, power cables, lights and other equipment.

Finally the nacelle (which houses the generator, gearbox and transformer) and the all-important rotor blades were put in place, ready for action.