| Arklow Bank Wind Park | |
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GE turbines on dock during Arklow Bank construction 2003 |
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| Country | Republic of Ireland |
| Location | Arklow, Irish Sea |
| Coordinates | |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | 2004 |
| Owner(s) | GE Energy |
| Operator(s) | GE Energy |
| Developer(s) | Airtricity GE Energy |
| Turbine information | |
| Turbines | 7 |
| Manufacturer(s) | GE Wind Energy |
| Model(s) | GE 3.6xl |
| Hub height | 73.5 m (241 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 124 m (407 ft) |
| Wind farm information | |
| Type | offshore |
| Distance from shore | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Power generation information | |
| Installed capacity | 25 MW |
| Maximum capacity | 520 MW |
| Website www.airtricity.com |
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The Arklow Bank Wind Park is the first offshore wind farm in Ireland and the world's first commercial application of offshore wind turbines over 3 megawatts in size. It is located on the Arklow Bank, a shallow water sandbank in the Irish Sea, around 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) off the coast of Arklow with an area of 27 by 2.5 kilometres (17 by 1.6 mi).
The project is being co-developed by Airtricity and GE Energy. In 2002, Airtricity obtained an offshore lease for a 520 MW offshore wind farm. The first phase of the project, commissioned in June 2004, consists of seven GE 3.6-megawatt generators. They were installed by the Danish offshore wind farms services provider A2SEA.[1] Power cables were laid by Five Oceans Services.[2] All of the turbines have a height of 73.5 metres (241 ft) and height to top of blade of 124 metres (407 ft). The blade length is 50.5 metres (166 ft) and each turbine has three blades. Each turbine weights 290 tonnes. They use steel monopole foundations driven in by a hydraulic hammer. The distance between turbines is 600 metres (2,000 ft).[3] Generated electricity is fed to ESB Networks distribution grid through the Arklow National Grid Substation.[4]
Phase 2 of the Arklow Project was to be developed in partnership with Acciona Energy of Spain. The development was to consist of a further 193 turbines. However, Phase 2 and the planned connection to Eirgrid transmission system was canceled in 2007.[5]
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