Innovation in world’s largest floating wind farm

• 6 years ago (2017-06-28)
• David Flin

Europe 1061 Offshore wind 119

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Siemens Gamesa have installed five 6 MW wind turbines on floating platforms in Stord, Norway for the 30 MW Hywind Scotland project, the world’s largest floating wind farm. The floating wind turbines will be towed from the Stord fjord to a location 25 km off the coast of Peterhead in Scotland. The turbines will be in water depths of between 90 and 120 m. The project is scheduled for commissioning by the end of 2017.

The floating foundations in the Hywind project are ballast-stabilised and anchored to the seabed with mooring lines. Siemens Gamesa claims that the lightweight nacelles of these turbines makes them particularly suitable for floating foundations.

Michael Hannibal, CEO of Offshore at Siemens Gamesa Renewable energy, said: “Siemens Gamesa views the floating wind farm market area the same way as we did with offshore wind farms in the early beginning: it is a very interesting area that is initially a niche market. This niche may, however, develop over time into a large market. It is a niche in which we would like to build a strong position for this reason.