Work starts on Galloper onshore infrastructure

UK: The construction of the onshore electrical system for the 340MW Galloper offshore wind farm is to move a step closer with the construction of an access road.

The Galloper project location shown off the Suffolk coast
Construction of the road is expected to be completed over "the next weeks" near Sizewell in Suffolk, east England.

The work is being undertaken before the start of major construction to avoid the bird nesting season.

Galloper is being developed by utilities SSE and RWE. The 140-turbine project is an extension of the existing 504MW Greater Gabbard development. It is scheduled for completion in 2017.

Progress towards the realisation of the project will be seen as a positive move after a number of UK projects have been cancelled in recent months. Indeed, both SSE and RWE announced recently that they were planning to scale back their renewables spending.

In November, SSE revealed plans to scale back Galloper by nearly a third to 340MW, from 504MW.

The company announced its move in its half-year results and said the decision was taken after recognising "the most efficient and viable scale for the project in the current energy market climate".