EDINBURGH, UK — The Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm project reached its latest milestone last week with the installation of its first wind turbine at sea.
The turbine, with a tip height of more than 200 m, was installed by Siemens Gamesa from the Blue Tern jackup wind turbine construction vessel, which initially placed the 87.5-m turbine tower on its pre-installed steel jacket. This was followed by the installation of the 350-tonne nacelle, containing the turbine generator, on top of the tower. Finally, its three blades, each 81 m in length, were bolted to the nacelle.
Once commissioned, this will be the first NnG wind turbine to generate clean, green electricity for the National Grid. Its 8 MW of power will be sent via the subsea interarray cable to its offshore substation then onward to shore via the subsea export cable to Thorntonloch Beach, where the underground onshore export cable will transmit its power to the national grid.
The turbine’s journey to site began in the Port of Dundee when its component parts were loaded, alongside those of three further turbines, onto the Blue Tern vessel.
NnG, which is owned by EDF Renewables UK and ESB, said it will ultimately supply enough low-carbon electricity for about 375,000 homes and has a capacity of about 450 MW of low-carbon energy. It will offset more than 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. The project will be fully operational in 2024.
07.24.2023
