World’s Largest Wind Farm Commissioned

June 21st, 2012 by Nicholas Brown

Recently, the United Kingdom’s wind industry celebrated the world’s largest offshore wind farm, and switched it on. The Walney wind farm is the name. It comprises 102 turbines and has an electricity generation capacity of 367 MW, enough to provide power for about 320,000 homes.

The wind project was led by a joint venture between Danish energy giant DONG, UK utility SSE, and investment group OPW.

“DONG Energy is delighted that our record-breaking project is now fully operational, providing clean energy from the UK’s abundant wind resources directly into the grid,” said Benj Sykes, DONG Energy’s director of operations for UK wind power.

“Walney is the first project in the UK to be backed by institutional investors before it was built — a confidence justified by the speed and efficiency of the construction. It shows our commitment to offshore wind development in the UK and to driving down costs.”

Another sign of progress: DONG energy announced that the project was completed in record-breaking time. All turbines and cables were installed in five and a half months.

Jim Smith, SSE’s managing director for renewables, said the project was “a great example of how much offshore wind has matured as an industry in a relatively short time,” adding that it would now play a role in curbing the UK’s carbon emissions and enhancing its energy security for years to come.

This is an impressively large project. however, it will be quickly surpassed by larger ones, such as the 388-MW West of Duddon Sands project and the whopping 630-MW London Array.

Source: BusinessGreen
Image Credit: Walney wind farm via Moggy443

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About the Author

Nicholas Brown writes on CleanTechnica, Gas2, Kleef&Co, and Green Building Elements. He has a keen interest in physics-intensive topics such as electricity generation, refrigeration and air conditioning technology, energy storage, and geography. His website is: Kompulsa.com.

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Hope

Sure as s**t makes sense. One thing we’re not short of is wind… and as I typed that the door slammed shut from the wind. So yeah, the wind agrees.
- http://cleantechnica.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  lol great coincidence!