LONDON - The world's largest offshore wind farm opened on the southwest coast of England yesterday. The Walney Project Orsted's energy company extension has a capacity of 659 megawatts (MW) and shifts the London Array wind farm on England's east coast which has a capacity of 630 MW.
Walney Extension consists of 87 turbines built by Siemens Gamesa and MHI Vestas in an offshore area of 145 square kilometers or equivalent to 20,000 football fields. A total of 40 MHI Vestas eight megawatt turbines have a height of about 195 meters.
The turbine is the largest wind turbine in the world. Orsted is optimistic that one turbine can generate electricity of 8.25 MW. Orsted UK Managing Director Matthew Wright also believes Walney Extension will succeed.
The reason is, according to Wrigth, the wind speed in the North Sea and the Irish Sea is fast, while the depth is shallow. "In addition we have received unremitting support from the UK Government over the past 10 years regarding renewable energy and offshore wind farms," said Wright.
The UK is the largest offshore wind farm market in the world, which is about 36% of the total wind farm capacity in the world. Walney Extension is the first project of a new energy program called Contract for Difference (CFD) subsidized by the UK Government since 2014.
Through CFD, the minimum electricity price is around 150 pounds per megawatt hour (MWh) for 15 years. The cost of offshore wind farms also dropped. As reported by Reuters, wind farm electricity rates offshore are around 57.50 poundstserling per MWh.
The windmill used is made in Hull and Isle of Wight, England. "About 50% of the value of this project comes from the UK itself," said Wright. Walney Extension is a joint project between Orsted and two pension funds.
The second largest wind farm in the world is held by Alta Wind Energy Center (AWEC) in Tehachapi, Kern, California, United States (US). Its operational capacity reaches 1,548 MW. The onshore wind farm is owned and operated by Terra-Gen Power.
AWEC initially only had five units of 100 GE 1.5-MW SLE in 2011. The following year, two units were re-installed. Terra-Gen Power then added six units of Vestas V 90-3.0 MW before returning six units with the same version.
The last two units, namely GE 1.7 MW and GE 2.85 MW, complete the AWEC. If added, the AWEC turbine reaches 586 pieces. The largest wind farm in the world is held by Gansu Wind Farm with a capacity of 5,160 MW and will reach 20,000 MW by 2020.
Wind farms include energy that is environmentally friendly because the impact is relatively low. Wind farms do not need fuel and do not release pollution. Not only developed countries that utilize windmills as renewable energy.
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