100 Turbines in 100 Days – 300 MW of installed offshore wind
Wind power is generally discussed in two main applications – onshore or offshore. In Texas, we have worked to expand our onshore capacity, installing turbines (with a capacity on the order of 2 Megawatts) on land in west Texas and the Texas Panhandle. But, we have largely ignored offshore capabilities, where turbines would be installed on platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. There are many advantages to offshore wind power including the wind’s profile (think of those sea breezes that you enjoy in the summer). The power in this offshore wind could provide a more consistent flow of power for use onshore.
Vestas wind power has been installing offshore wind turbines since 1990 and is a leader in the wind power industry. In April, they released a video discussing their new 7 MW wind turbine (the V164) and its offshore applications. This video discusses how Vestas installed 100 turbines in 100 days, for a total of 300 MW installed in offshore wind – an average of 3 MW per turbine. With their new 7 MW turbines, they can more than double the capacity of the same sized wind farm, potentially leading to more economical wind power for the communities living onshore.
Check out this video on Vestas’s new 7 MW wind turbine – and its application in offshore applications. They’re huge – and pretty cool.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1
