German energy company E.ON said it's built a strong position in offshore wind now that power is produced from two sets of wind turbines in the North Sea.
E.ON said Wednesday its Amrumbank West wind power project in the German waters of the North Sea is producing power for the German grid. That follows February's transmissions to the British grid from the Humber Gateway project. Combined, the two facilities will have a capacity to produce more than 500 megawatts of power once fully completed.
"The simultaneous development of large-scale projects in the waters of different countries demonstrates our ability to meet substantial challenges and solidifies our position as a leading offshore wind company," Eckhardt Rummler, chief executive officer at E.ON's renewable energy unit, said in a statement.
Germany is one of the world leaders in renewable energy, a trend emphasized after its decision to move away from nuclear power in the wake of the nuclear tragedy in Japan in 2011. The United Kingdom is close behind and, combined, the European Union has more than 100 gigawatts of wind power online.
In total, E.ON's two North Sea wind farms will displace more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide per year and supply enough energy to meet the demands of about 470,000 average households.
Humber Gateway will be fully completed by summer, followed by the Amrumbank West before year's end.
