Gwynt y Môr
| Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Location | off the coast of North Wales, UK |
| Coordinates | 53°27′N 03°35′W / 53.450°N 3.583°WCoordinates: 53°27′N 03°35′W / 53.450°N 3.583°W |
| Status | Under construction |
| Construction began | January 2012 |
| Commission date | 2014 (expected) |
| Owner(s) |
RWE Npower Stadtwerke München Siemens |
| Operator(s) | Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm Limited |
| Turbine | |
| Turbines | 160 X 3.6 MW turbines |
| Manufacturer(s) | Siemens Wind Power |
| Model(s) | SWT-3.6-107 |
| Hub height | 98 m (322 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 107 m (351 ft) |
| Wind farm | |
| Type | Offshore |
| Surface area | 80 km2 (30.9 sq mi) |
| Avg. water depth | 12–33 m (39–108 ft) |
| Distance from shore | 18 km (11.2 mi) |
| Power generation | |
| Maximum capacity | 576 MW |
Gwynt y Môr (Welsh: Sea Wind) is an under-construction, 576-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm located off the coast of North Wales. Planning consent for the project was granted on 3 December 2008. The project has a value of 2 billion Euros, of which 1.2B goes to Siemens for turbines and electrical connections. Construction began in 2012, power production started in September 2013, and final commissioning is expected for 2014
Design and planning
As with all offshore wind farms in the UK, the seabed at Gwynt y Môr is owned by the Crown Estates,[1] which has agreed to lease the land to npower renewables. The wind farm will be located in close proximity to the existing North Hoyle and Rhyl Flats offshore wind farms. All of these projects are wholly or partly owned by RWE npower renewables, a subsidiary of German company RWE. In the case of Gwynt y Môr, RWE holds 60%, Stadtwerke München holds 30%, and Siemens holds 10%.
With 160 turbines[2] of 3.6MW Siemens SWT-3.6-107, Gwynt y Môr will be Wales' largest wind farm. The expected output of 1,950 GWh per year is capable of powering around 400,000 homes, or 40% of the homes in Wales, and preventing the release of about 1.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.[2][3]
Planning consent for the project was granted on 3 December 2008.[4] The project has a value of 2 billion Euros, of which 1.2B goes to Siemens for turbines and electrical connections.
Construction
Construction work began offshore in January 2012 when pieces of rock were laid on softer parts of the seabed to secure the foundations of the turbines.[5] Work began on laying undersea cables from the windfarm to the shore in August 2012.[6] In order to feed electricity into the national grid, a substation was built near St Asaph in Denbighshire.[6]
Power production started in September 2013.[7] Final commissioning is expected for 2014.[8]
See also
- Wind power in the United Kingdom
- List of offshore wind farms
- List of offshore wind farms in the United Kingdom
- List of offshore wind farms in the Irish Sea
- npower (UK)
References
- ↑ "The Crown Estate". Retrieved 25 July 2007.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 RWE Innogy, Stadtwerke München and Siemens build offshore wind farm Gwynt y Môr
- ↑ Go-ahead for wind farm puts Wales on track to meet clean energy targets
- ↑ "Giant wind farm gets the go-ahead". BBC Wales. 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
- ↑ "Gwynt y Môr: Wind farm work to begin offshore near Llandudno". BBC. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Gwynt y Mor windfarm: Sea cable laying work starts". BBC. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
- ↑ WalesOnline: Gwynt y Mor, Wales' largest offshore wind farm, generates power for first time
- ↑ Go Ahead Given for 750-MW UK Wind Project
External links
- Gwynt y Môr, RWE Innogy
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