Phillip Riley

World’s First and Largest Floating Wind Farm Arrives Off Northeast Coast of Scotland

The advanced technology will enable wind power to be amassed in waters that are way too deep for the present mainstream bottom-standing turbines utilised. The Hywind project is a trial project that aims to bring power to 20,000 homes. According to Statoil, the Norwegian energy company that spearheads the project, the output from the turbines is anticipated to equal or outperform generation from prevailing ones.
Presently, one giant turbine has been moved into place while four others are still installed in a Norwegian fjord.
The BBC report also stated that the project “hopes to cash in on a boom in the technology, especially in Japan and the West Coast of the United States, where waters are deep.”
The Project Director for Hywind, Leif Delp, said, “This is a tech development project to ensure it’s working in open sea conditions. It’s a game-changer for floating wind power and we are sure it will help bring costs down.”
Although making the turbines now are quite expensive, Statoil is positive that making such turbines will cost less in the future. Delp added, “I think eventually, we will see floating wind farms compete without subsidy – but to do that, we need to get building at scale.”
Some of the notable features of the turbines include the following:

  • The tower, along with the blades, extends to 175 metres
  • Each tower weighs 11,500 tonnes
  • The nacelle behind the blades could support two double-decker buses
  • Each blade is 75 metres
  • The turbines can operate in water up to a kilometre deep

At the end of the month, the four other giant turbines are expected to have been towed 15 miles off Peterhead, where they will float upright, similar to giant fishing floats.
Read here for the full report.

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