Seagreen offshore windfarm to produce 5,000 GWh of electricity annually
%2Favatars%2FdwyRtdiKDE71.png&w=96&q=75)
%2F2023%2F04%2F15%2Fimage%2Fjpeg%2FDV6PaWyplJdQE4FTNle9k46P1nNRYbb7VjLOtSNn.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
In a landmark moment in Scotland’s and the UK’s quest to achieve energy independence, the world’s deepest wind turbine foundation has been installed at Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm off the coast of Angus, said Seagreen in a press release.
Seagreen, the offshore wind farm development owned by SSE Renewables and TotalEnergies achieved first power in August 2022 and is expected to commence commercial operation in Q3 later this year.
The “jacket”- the industry term for the foundation- of the wind turbine was transferred to the wind farm on a large barge and was lifted by the Saipem 7000, a semi-submersible crane vessel, which lifted each of the 2,000-tonne turbine foundations into place.
With this, Seagreen has now beaten its record for the deepest wind turbine foundation- installed at approximately 188 feet (57.4 meters). The new foundation stands at ~192 feet (58.6 meters).
The £3bn joint venture is slated to house 114 wind turbines, for which 112 “jackets” have now been laid, with the final wind turbine foundation expected to be installed later this week.
“This is another terrific milestone for both Scotland and the UK’s world-leading offshore wind industry,” said Graham Stuart, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. “Seagreen is making history with the world’s deepest wind turbine foundation, which, once operational, will play an invaluable role in powering more of Britain from Britain,” he added.
Turbines to cause a wind in our sails
Unlike typical fans that consume energy and blow wind in your hair, wind turbines generate electricity when the natural wind blows against the blades of the turbine, prompting them to turn. This causes a shaft within the turbine to rotate, transferring these rotations to a generator connected, creating electricity.
Wind turbines are an alternative to fossil fuels and generate clean and renewable energy. They do not require any water to operate and hence are suited to areas experiencing more consistent, strong winds. This has led to a rise in the number of nations considering turbines as a way to produce renewable energy on the cheap, while also reducing their carbon footprint.
The Chief Executive of the Scottish Energy Company SSE, Alistair Phillips-Davies, emphasized the relevance of Seagreen and its importance to SSE’s £12.5bn Net Zero Acceleration Plan. “Thanks to a strong and stable policy framework, the UK has established itself as the world leader in offshore wind. Now is the time to accelerate if we are to achieve the UK’s target of 50GW of offshore wind by 2030,” he reiterated.
Installing each foundation involves a crew of over 50 personnel including ballast engineers, a tug captain, riggers, welders, a tow master, and a pilot. Each foundation will support a Vestas V164-10 MW turbine and will contribute to generating 5,000 GWh of renewable energy annually- enough to power more than 1.6m UK homes- when complete.
SHOW COMMENT (1)
/2022/10/07/image/jpeg/nuW3h0IdjfIxlXvsUOpAYAlacGpPLd67uVehj5SX.jpg "Could coffee prolong your life? Scientists think it might")
/2022/09/23/image/png/J1j5DhjiFAHjb2Wcf1FzGykxeuoseD5Dn4au012r.png "How you could develop US military tech")
/2023/05/17/image/jpeg/DkhVUYyTr3zCw7iMFNI06s7EfwX7rbb5FNLrNLqh.jpg "Rimac's electric hypercar Nevera breaks 23 records, does 0-62 mph in 1.81 seconds")
/2023/05/23/image/jpeg/WGiDzBgkMEB3MWU2C2FQaPjsdhaIUwtYZUSBvBiE.jpg "Triangles over circles? YouTuber builds funky cycle with special wheels")
/2023/05/26/image/jpeg/smTFO3AG7ESAzCi8L0kVnrUEHbVmcjiZ2KhVW0QE.jpg "Potential cure for diabetes found in groundbreaking stem cell study")
/img/iea/3ROaXejNwv/satellite.jpg "Astronomers are organizing against the 'unsustainable' Starlink problem")
/2023/05/25/image/jpeg/xbqtdlTTlQ6wFUubr9etkXJZVi8dBYvahuUEjCzI.jpg "This architecture firm is introducing inflatable skyscrapers")
/2022/10/19/image/jpeg/BWVTRa1icm3js6UWhOYHjDJeRqPcXky2gYzWI0mf.jpg "75+ essential AutoCAD shortcuts and commands for the speedy engineer")
/2023/05/20/image/jpeg/qGLecng5T9rgIGZSsgiqXO1GgHfPT8WL781Q7uMq.jpg "World's most efficient aero-engine, the Rolls-Royce UltraFan, completes first test")
/2022/09/16/image/jpeg/ylQGrpxWUrV4hYEozvIgkubGJEJr781zH1Bfg8ZQ.jpg "A Turkish clinic swaps refugees' warzone-welded prosthetics for free 3D-printed ones")