British offshore wind farm near completion

LONDON, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- The last wind turbine has been installed in one of the world's largest offshore wind farms located in Britain's Thames Estuary, officials said.

The London Array, with 175 wind turbines, is on schedule to begin full operation in spring 2013 and is expected to produce enough power for almost half a million homes, the BBC reported Thursday.

Begun in March 2011, the project first began producing power in October. Fifty-five turbines are online and producing power for the national electric grid.

A second phase, with another 166 turbines, is yet to be approved. Once it is approved, the complete array could power as many as 750,000 homes, London Array officials said.

The array covers an offshore area of 38 square miles in the Thames Estuary on the east coast of the county of Kent.