Belgian Prime Minister inaugurates Thornton Bank Wind Farm at high sea, RWE
Release Date: 2009-06-25
- Biggest wind turbines in the world about to enter commercial operation
- Wind farm set to increase to 300 megawatts in all
- RWE Innogy is the biggest shareholder
The first offshore wind farm of his country was officially inaugurated by the Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy yesterday before approx. 500 invited guests. After the first development stage, the wind farm currently has six turbines in the 5-megawatt class. Another three sections are to be added by 2013, bringing the total up to 300 megawatts. Once it is completed, its annual output will be approx. 1,000 gigawatt hours, supplying electric power for an equivalent of 600,000 people. With about 27 per cent, RWE Innogy is the biggest shareholder of the Thornton Bank Wind Farm.
Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy emphasised the international relevance of the Thornton Bank offshore windfarm: "This innovative project in all conditions: distance to the coast, waterdepth and installed turbine capacity, will be a landmark for our country and to the world. I hope that Belgium in the near future will be renown for its know how for offshore windfarms, and just like for chocolates and beer will be the benchmark for quality abroad."
“Thornton Bank is in many ways unique in Europe at the moment. Equipped with the biggest turbines in the world, the wind farm sets standards in matters of construction, grid access and operation. The experiences gathered here will benefit us greatly in future offshore projects,” said Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt, CEO of RWE Innogy GmbH. The first six wind power turbines were already installed on so-called gravity foundations last year, at a depth of approx. 28 metres below the sea.
With a rated capacity of 5 megawatts each and a rotor diameter of 126 metres, the turbines at Thornton Bank are among the biggest and most powerful in the world. Each rotor has 3 blades which are 61.5 metres in length and cover an area of two football pitches while in operation. The powerhouse is the size of a duplex building (i.e. two semis).
The construction phase was accompanied by the laying of a 150-kilovolt cable under the sea. The erection of a substation at sea and laying of a further 150-kilovolt cable will form part of the next construction phases. The Thornton Bank Wind Farm will contribute substantially to the development objectives of the Belgian government concerning renewable energies. Compared with a modern gas-fired power plant, it avoids approx. 450,000 metric tonnes of CO2 per year.
In addition to Thornton Bank, RWE Innogy is planning to build a further wind power station, Innogy Nordsee 1, in the German North Sea, approx. 40 kilometres off the island of Juist, with an output of approx. 960 MW. The company is also operating in the Netherlands where it is currently setting up Tromp Binnen, a wind power station with 300 MW. Where offshore wind power is concerned, RWE Innogy is largely active in the UK. Having built its 60-MW wind farm North Hoyle, just off the Welsh coast, RWE Innogy is about to start up its second wind power station Rhyl Flats with an installed output of 90 MW this year. Another wind farm, Gwynt y Môr, is to have an installed output of several hundreds of megawatts and will be one of the biggest of its kind throughout the world. RWE Innogy also has a 50 per cent share in the offshore wind farm Greater Gabbard, off the Suffolk coast. After its completion in 2011 this power station will have a total output of 500 MW.
| Type: | NORMAL |
| Company: | RWE |
| Country: | Germany |
| Url: | http://www.rwe.com/web/cms/en/113648/rwe/press-news/press-release/?pmid=4003592 |