Scotland ready to host floating wind turbines
The Norwegian oil company Statoil and the Scottish Government this week discussed the possibility of installing the first floating wind farm in Scotland.
The company has in fact identified two potential sites that could accommodate a pilot area to test for floating wind turbines Hywind: the first is off the island of Lewis and the other near Aberdeenshire.
Statoil has already built any prototype unit Hywind located 10 kilometers offshore of Karmøy, Norway. According to the manufacturer, “the performance of wind turbines in place go beyond what was anticipated and the wind farm provides energy on the grid since September 2009.
The next step would be the construction of the project from March to May Hywind wind farms which shows the commercial potential of the concept.
The aid agency Scottish Development International investment and management organization of maritime resources Marine Scotland have worked closely with Statoil to confirm
If the feasibility of such a project in Scotland were to materialize, it certainly pave the way for the development of wind farms in deep water on a large scale. Next month, representatives of Statoil will make another visit to the Scottish Government to consider the future potential of these sites more thoroughly.
“The potential of Scottish waters represents one quarter of European resources in offshore wind energy. This leads me to believe that we are well placed to develop technology that will operate this remarkable revolution in renewable energy, “said Alex Salmond, Scottish First Minister visits Norway.
The government is considering a way to maximize the enormous profits that the sea breezes can bring to Scotland. This benefit, estimated at over 30 billion pounds of investment, could create up to 20,000 jobs.
“It is important that we exploit every opportunity offered to us. Indeed, a recent study showed that if we used only one third of the energy from our shores until 2050, we would produce enough energy to power seven times Scotland “Alex Salmond added.
Scotland has already demonstrated its ability to develop wind energy in deep waters with offshore wind pilot project “Beatrice” in the Moray Firth showing the possibility of setting up the turbines at a depth of 60 meters.
No Comments »
No comments yet.