14 DAY TRIAL // DONG Energy has recently announced that a 210 megawatts wind farm is currently under construction in the waters off the coast of East Yorkshire.
According to the company, workers have until now finished setting in place the first 800 tonne foundation that will serve to support the turbines.
Besides, DONG Energy has entered a partnership with an Isle of Wight company dubbed Seacat Services, and expects the latter to provide it with two workboats.
These vessels are to remain in DONG Energy's service throughout the course of the following twelve months. During this time, they will support the construction of the offshore wind farm.
The first of said boats, i.e. the Seacat Reliance, is already being used by workers in charge of implementing this project. The second is expected to arrive in the area later this year, most likely sometime in June.
Commenting on the company's partnership with DONG Energy, Ian Baylis, the current managing director of Seacat Services, stated as follows:
“As offshore wind farm owners and investors look to develop, construct and commission increasingly ambitious new power projects within tight time parameters, it's imperative that external suppliers, contractors and support staff have the experience and equipment necessary to keep new developments on budget and on track.” Business Green tells us that, when completed, the Westermost Rough offshore wind farm will comprise 35 wind turbines designed and manufactured by Siemens.
Each of these offshore wind turbines is estimated to have an energy generating capacity of 6 megawatts, DONG Energy explains on its website.
This means that it is nearly twice as powerful as the run-off-the-mill 3.6 megawatt turbines that make up most other wind farms, it further details.
The folks behind this green energy project in the waters off the coast of East Yorkshire expect that, by choosing to install Siemens 6 megawatts wind turbines instead of regular ones, they will manage to up the farm's energy output while reducing the cost of offshore wind power at the same time.
What is interesting is that, according to Siemens, the wind turbines that will make up the Westermost Rough wind farm are new generation ones.
In fact, it would appear that their being installed in these waters marks their first commercial use offshore, information shared with the public says.
DONG Energy expects that, should things go according to plan, the wind farm will be ready for use and will start producing environmentally friendly electricity by mid-2015.