Norway deploys first floating Wind Turbine

Sponge Bob · 08-09-2009 11:14AM #1

Couple of noteworthy points on this technology if it proves feasible longterm.

While seabed turbines are feasible on the shallow banks that line the east coast the greater water depths and higher sea states off the south and west coasts make a technology like this ( if it is proven feasible) inherently more desirable .

It is EASIER to install and service a device like this on water, you can float a crane on a barge right up to it instead of dragging the crane up a mountain .

Much of our coastline is protected to some degree , we have National Parks and SACs and NHAs coming out of our arses in areas of high wind potential which makes planning and deployment very difficult . Constant petty objecting by An Taisce introduces grave uncertainty into wind ashore.

The wind blows more steadily at 100m height at sea than at 100m height on land .

Reads for yiz!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8235456.stm

BluntGuy · 08-09-2009 11:25AM

Good stuff, was wondering when this would happen. I've heard a few bits and pieces about it over the last month or two.

I wonder, is the Oriel Wind Farm still going ahead? I know Arklow Bank has been effectively scrapped.

Sponge Bob · 08-09-2009 12:06PM

TBH I feel that large offshore turbine schemes on the east coast are a dead duck unless we put in HVDC interconnectors to the UK or Beyond . The other problem is that Beyond = France who are not interested and Spain who are a tad too far away

Eddie O Connor who developed Arklow initially and then froze it in the absence of Interconnectors talks a lot about the EU wide Alt.Grid that would be necessary , even he feels that 'an' interconnector is futile . I find Eddie very interesting on the supergrid ideas and while I feel he is correct this Alt.Grid is many years away .

That is the interesting thing about sprit of ireland , they have found a way to harness/store this surplus locally , economic and engineering caveats obviously apply but it is certainly worth looking into .

Says Eddie who wanted a UK interconnector for his Arklow lekky not so long back

"All those single interconnector projects are quite wasteful, they are all too small. "

http://www.newenergy.info/index.php?id=1920

lostexpectation · 10-09-2009 05:38AM

could they not stick an underwater turbine underneath, or one of those swell mechanisim

Sponge Bob · 10-09-2009 08:25AM

Wave Power technology is not as mature as wind but clusters of co located wind and wave certainly will be the way to do it , in time that is .

This gizmo here survived a 2 year sea trial for example but the Norwegians are only starting their sea trial now .

For any offshore technology survivability and basically remaining in one piece after winter storms is really important . If the device disintegrates and/or sinks then you are in trouble . As long as it does not sink you can bring it ashore and fix it

Carawaystick · 10-09-2009 08:22PM

I presume there's oilrig experience in Norway to manage the floating platform bit of the the turbine. How do they manage to prevent the blades being struck by a sea or are they stronger than land based blades to deal with this?

Chris_533976 · 10-09-2009 08:27PM

All renewable energy will be obsolute once they get Fusion power running

Carawaystick · 10-09-2009 08:37PM

Chris_533976 wrote: »

All renewable energy will be obsolute once they get Fusion power running

The fusion power was running today, turned off now, the evenings drawing in and all. Hopefully it's back on at dawn....

Actually read the bbc article this time, 'tis actually informative.

Sponge Bob · 10-09-2009 10:46PM

Carawaystick wrote: »

I presume there's oilrig experience in Norway

Damn sure, ever heard of a Norwegian Technology called Condeep , some rather mind boggling stats there for yiz .

mysterious · 10-09-2009 11:49PM

Now if we could just see a news article of a floating sea wind turbine in Ireland.

Norway deploys first floating Wind Turbine

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