| UK. World's deepest wind farm off Scottish coast nearing installation to include bird radar |
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| Thursday, 20 July 2006 | |
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Environmental news: Energy Commissioner for the European Union, Andris Piebalgs, and Deputy First Minister for Scotland, Nicol Stephen, visited the Talisman operated Beatrice oil platform as work started on the installation of a 35 million GBP (C$70 million) deepwater wind farm demonstrator project 25 kilometres off the east coast of Scotland. The project, a joint venture between Talisman Energy (UK) Limited and Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), will use two of the largest turbines installed anywhere in the world to test the technical and economic feasibility of deepwater wind farms in water depths of about 45 metres. Electricity generated by the demonstrator project will be used to power the Beatrice platform. Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, visited Scotland on July 17 and 18 to gain insight into the project and Scotland's current energy scene. As part of his tour, the Commissioner visited the Beatrice oil platform with the Deputy First Minister, Nicol Stephen, and Talisman Energy Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jim Buckee. The Commissioner viewed modifications being made to tie-in the cable linking the turbines to the platform and the special bird radar system, which is part of an innovative environmental data gathering program. The tour included sight of an ERIC (Emergency Rapid Intervention Craft), which will be used to access the turbines to carry out inspection and maintenance. Installation of the first sub-structure jacket was also visible from the platform. Commissioner Piebalgs then visited the Nigg Fabrication Yard in Northern Scotland where he saw the wind turbine components, including one of the turbines assembled onto the installation system, as well as the turbine blades and ancillary equipment. "We are already well advanced in the process of fixing the substructure jackets to the sea bed and the next step is to complete the assembly of the turbines and fix these to the jackets," said Dr. Jim Buckee. "This project is already utilizing many of the project management, engineering and fabrication skills and techniques developed in the UK's offshore oil and gas industry. Such skills are transferable and underline the role the oil and gas sector is able to play in developing offshore wind. An important element of the project is that it will extend the life of the Beatrice platform and help maximize oil recovery from this field." The European Community (€6m), the Scottish Executive (£3m) and the UK's Department of Trade and Industry (£3m) provided funding for the project with the remainder coming from Talisman, SSE and other partners. "I am delighted to be able to be here today and see for myself the scale of these turbines and learn about the assembly and installation process," said Commissioner Piebalgs. "The Demonstrator Project is a central part of DOWNVInD (Distant Offshore Wind Farms With No Visual Impact In Deepwater), which includes 18 different organizations from six European countries. DOWNVInD is our largest renewable energy research and development program and will help ensure that Europe is well positioned to take a global lead in developing deepwater offshore wind farms." Mr. Stephen added: "I am delighted that the Scottish Executive has been able to provide substantial funding support for this project. The pioneering deepwater wind farm development offers the potential to take offshore wind farm technology to a new level. "Scottish companies have over 30 years of experience of working in the challenging conditions of the North Sea. Scotland now also has the opportunity to become a world leader in renewable energy technology, including offshore wind, wave and tidal power. "We have set ourselves a target of generating at least 40 per cent of Scottish electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. The success of this Demonstrator Project will play an important part of achieving that target." The first of the two five megawatt turbines, which are approximately 85 metres high, will sail out from Nigg in early August, dependent on weather conditions. The turbines will be transported to the installation site by the Rambiz heavy lift crane barge, which has a lifting capacity of 3,300 tons. The existing Beatrice infrastructure has been modified to use the electricity generated by the demonstrator turbines. The field's production platforms will also provide a base from which to carry out turbine monitoring and maintenance. |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 20 July 2006 ) |
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