Pilot windmill tow across the North Sea
Five giant wind turbines, each with a total length of more than 200 metres, are presently towed across the North Sea. The large windmills are towed from Stord in Hordaland to the coast of Scotland.
The result will be the world’s first floating windmill farm at sea. They will form a park that will provide electricity for 20,000 households, NRK reports.
The five wind turbines arrived at the Stord Wharf in February for assembly and preparation. They are now to be placed on the Scottish coast. The tow is made by four tug-boats and the trip across the North Sea is stipulated to take three to four days.
Major Milestone in Statoil project
– It is a major milestone for the project that we have this far, says Project Manager in Statoil, Monica Pettersen.
In addition to the towering 125 meters above the sea level, the turbines are going to stretch another 78 meters towards the sea bed. The route the tug will take is very carefully planned. The project leader naturally hopes for little wind, small waves and not too much current.
Hywind Scotland, a Statoil’s subsidiary, is behind the project. Statoil has invested around NOK 2 billion in the project. The initial cost of the project is therefore roughly NOK 100,000 per household. If everything goes according to plan, the wind turbines will be operational this autumn.
© NTB Scanpix / Offshorewind.biz / Norway Today
