A PIONEERING energy project has reached a ground-breaking moment as it begins the construction of its onshore substation. 

Work on the Walney Extension Offshore Windfarm is gathering speed as the construction of the Heysham substation is announced. 

The construction of the onshore substation is considered to be a key part of preparatory works for the project. 

Once the windfarm is operational, electricity generated from the site will be fed into the national grid through the substation. 

John Agnew, deputy construction manager for the onshore substation at DONG Energy, says this is a key moment from the work. 

He said: "This is a really exciting moment in the project. 

"The onshore substation is one of the most important features of the wind farm, as it will take the electricity generated and feed it into the national grid for people to use.

"It's always a pleasure to see these projects take shape and deliver a variety of benefits to the local region. 

"We are committed to working with local subcontractors and supply chains to ensure we are investing in the community, both in the construction stages of the Project and throughout its entire lifetime." 

The site of the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm is approximately 19 kilometres off the Cumbrian coast, next to the 367.2MW Walney Offshore Wind Farm. 

Once it is up and running, it is expected to be one of the world's largest offshore wind farms, generating around 660MW of clean, renewable energy - enough to power around 460,000 homes.