Danish wind power giant DONG Energy has opened a wind farm in the north of England with a 258 megawatt capacity.

The project – at the Burbo Bank Extension Wind Farm – is the first time in the world that turbines with an 8 megawatt capacity have been installed.

The Turbine blades were built and designed on the Isle of Wight by MHI Vestas Offshore Wind at their factory on the island.

Meanwhile the transition pieces (which connect the turbine tower to the foundations) were built by Offshore Structures Britain, a company based in North East England which works on a number of wind turbine projects. The assembly of the turbines took place in Belfast.

Renewable UK’s executive director Emma Pinchbeck enthused that the construction of the new offshore wind farm was a “Testament to the offshore wind industry’s strong commitment to relentless innovation, including the state of the art turbine blades which designed, tested and made on the Isle of Wight”.