Babcock has secured a multi-million pound deal to build a reactive compensation station (RCS) for the Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm near Yorkshire.

The engineering support services company will develop the facility for DONG Energy at its Rosyth base in Fife, Scotland.

The 1.2Gw Hornsea Project One wind farm is being built 120km off the Yorkshire coast and will produce enough electricity to power over 1 million UK homes.

The offshore RCS forms a vital part of transmitting generated electricity to shore, enabling the high voltage AC system to work with cable lengths longer than those previously used for offshore wind.

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Work to develop the facility will begin this summer and completion is scheduled for 2018.

Duncan Clark, Programme Director for Hornsea Project One at DONG Energy, said: "DONG Energy is absolutely committed to investing in the UK and we are delighted to be working with Babcock on this world first structure which will play an important part of the world's largest offshore wind farm.

"As well as generating clean, green energy for well over one million UK homes, Hornsea Project One is also providing a real boost to the UK supply chain. This contract with Babcock is another example of this."

Ian Donnelly, MD of Babcock's energy and marine business, added: "Babcock is delighted to be working with DONG Energy on the construction of the world's first offshore reactive compensation station at our facilities in Rosyth, Fife. This contract will sustain around 100 jobs within our operation here.

"This is a significant development for the UK's renewables sector and Babcock is delighted to be playing its part in it."

The wind farm is expected to be operational in 2020.

(LM/MH)