14 December 2005 - Elsam's new offshore wind farm, Kentish Flats, has now commenced commercial operation. The wind farm, which is located in the Thames Estuary in the North Sea, was erected in the summer of 2005 and comprises 30 Vestas wind turbines with a rated capacity of 3 MW.

After erection and before formal takeover, the turbines have undergone a number of acceptance tests both of the individual turbine and of the entire wind farm. The Taking-Over Certificate (TOC) was signed on 8 December 2005, and the wind turbines are thus in commercial operation.

"We are pleased that Kentish Flats, as the first of our projects abroad, is now in commercial operation", says Project Director Hans Buus, and he continues, "Througout the entire process we have maintained a good and close cooperation with authorities and suppliers, and we will use this experience in our future offshore projects in the UK".

The 30 wind turbines hold two records; they constitute the largest offshore wind farm established in the UK so far, and they are the largest wind turbines erected in the UK to this date, each with a rated maximum capacity of 3 MW .

The wind farm at Kentish Flats is expected to produce 285 GWh of electricity a year, corresponding to the consumption of more than 100 000 British households. In addition, the wind farm will help reduce CO2 emissions by 223 000 tonnes a year.

"Since the wind turbines were erected in the summer of 2005, the wind farm has met our expectations", says Project Manager Niels Møller Jensen, and he continues, "To this day the wind farm has already generated 65 million kWh of electricity" corresponding to the annual consumption of 23 000 British households.