Mike Parr, Director of independent energy consultancy PWR, has developed a unique near-shore floating offshore wind farm project in the Firth of Clyde off the western coast of Scotland. Thanks to its design as a vessel at mooring, writes Parr, the farm does not require any planning permits and thanks to its low cost, it does not need subsidies. The first of these floating wind turbines will be installed this month north of Turnberry golf course. Donald Trump, owner of the golf course, will no doubt appreciate the lower regulatory burden involved in this type of project, writes Parr.
The trend with respect to off-shore wind turbines has been to site very large off-shore farms long distances out to sea. This is done for two reasons, stronger and often more reliable winds and minimisation of visual impact. However, there is an argument for having near-shore turbines in locations that benefit from the funnelling effect that estuaries often have.
In the case of the UK, locations such as the Bristol Channel and the Firth of Clyde both exhibit strong funnelling effects – further into the estuary wind speeds rise (a problem for crossings such as the two Severn bridges).
Another feature of off-shore wind projects is the relatively onerous planning application process, coupled to the fact that fees have to be paid (in the UK) for seabed use to what is prosaically called “The Crown Estate” which funnels the fees to the Queen.
However, I have found that there is one class of sea faring object that does not have to pay significant fees (in Scotland) and these are vessels at moorings. There is a fee for the mooring, but it is not significant. What is more, vessels are not subject to planning permits.
For a wind farm to fulfil these conditions, it would need to be a floating structure. Floating turbines have only recently begun to be built for deep waters, e.g. Vattenfall’s Hywind pilot project off the coast of Peterhead, Scotland, but PWR has now developed the first floating near-shore turbines.
The farm will run from north of Turnberry golf course and down past Girvan. Turbine spacing will be every kilometre and will be staggered to take into account westerly/south westerly winds
The Clyde has a relatively small tidal range (e.g. spring tide of 3.1 metres) and fairly low tidal currents typically 1 knot maximum. These conditions make it ideal for anchored/floating wind farms.
Binoculars
The above circumstances have led PWR to develop a 200MW project featuring 22 floating wind turbines located off the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, financed by a consortium led by Goldman Sachs in Scotland.
The turbines are next-generation Vestas machines with tip heights of 300 metres. These will be located roughly 2 km off the coast in about 20 metres of water. A Japanese company with long experience in fabricating floating structures, will supply, from a Scottish site, the platforms for the turbines. Assembly will take place in Greenock.
As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility programme, low cost power will be offered to communities and businesses visually affected by the wind turbine
Anchors will take the form of 20 tonne suction buckets (fabricated locally) which will work well in the deep sediments which are a feature of this part of the coast. These can be quickly and easily installed from small vessels. A simple flotation jacket allows a small fishing boat or similar to tow the anchor into position, controlled deflation of the jacket results in the bucket sinking onto the sea bed and a simple pump sucks out the water with water pressure driving the inverted bucket into the seabed with water pressure holding it there.
Installation will commence tomorrow, weather permitting, and those on the coast of the Clyde with binoculars or sharp eyes will see various boats installing the sea anchors. The turbines are expected to be towed into position by mid-April.
Unusual route
Connections, farm to shore, will take a somewhat unusual route. Each wind turbine will output around 9MW which is roughly equivalent to the size of a 33kV/11kV substation. Thus each turbine will have its own, on-shore sub-station connecting directly into the local 33kV network. This will be a very low cost way of moving power from the turbines to shore. The local 33kV network will only require modest and thus inexpensive reinforcement.
The farm will run from north of Turnberry golf course and down past Girvan. Turbine spacing will be every kilometre and will be staggered to take into account westerly/south westerly winds. Capacity factors of around 50% are expected. This coupled to the simple no-planning approach and very simple install, points to LCOEs of perhaps sub-Euro30/MWh.
Locations with coastal golf courses appear to be amongst the windiest. This suggests that golfers can look forward to more visual and aural delights in the future
As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility programme, low cost power will be offered to communities and businesses visually affected by the wind turbines. Girvan is one location where there is significant energy poverty and as such it is likely that the prospect of electricity at a significant discount to that provided by the incumbent utilities (the “big six”) will no doubt be welcomed. Furthermore, given the low cost of generation, there is neither the need nor the intention to apply for a subsidy. This is another reason why government need not get involved.
That said the Scottish administration looks on this development in a very positive way and hopes that many other locations in Scotland could be developed.
Visual impact
In terms of visual impact, this will not be so great – it would be that of a 3 metre tall object situated 20 metres away from an observer that was 2cms tall. There will also be the offer of free epilepsy tests for those concerned that they may be affected by the stroboscopic effect (sun behind the blades) of turbine blades almost 200 metres in diameter.
Contact with locals has so far been positive. Those in Girvan (which as noted before suffer from significant levels of energy poverty) are mostly enthusiastic about obtaining low cost electricity. Management of the Turnberry golf course have not responded to the information we have supplied to them, but staff (Bob Bruce and Rab Burns) have been positive, they thought the wind farm would look quite interesting – and would be a benefit if it helped to chase away “bloody seagulls wheeling about the sky and crapping on everybody”.
On the top of each wind turbine there will be a unique sound system capable of generating within 100 feet a sound level of 160 decibels – more than enough to deflect even those seagulls with defective hearing
The wind farm will use a rather unique way to deflect birds. Studies by the University of Glasgow have found, unsurprisingly, that birds can be both attracted and repelled by sound. Thus on the top of each wind turbine there will be a unique sound system capable of generating within 100 feet a sound level of 160 decibels – more than enough to deflect even those seagulls with defective hearing. The sound impact on the coast will be just a pleasant murmur of, for example, Scottish bagpipe music which has been found to be effective at repelling birds. In the case of Turnberry one could characterise the sound from the turbines as pleasant mood/background music for golfers as they tee-off or go for a birdy.
PWR is currently in discussion with the Scottish government concerning other locations suitable for large-scale near-shore floating wind farms on both the east and west coast. As it happens locations with coastal golf courses appear to be amongst the windiest. This suggests that golfers can look forward to more visual and aural delights in the future.
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Nigel West says
LoL – the photo of the US President is appropriate being April Fools day today in the UK.
Until floating wind turbines have been proven thoroughly, e.g. stability wise, shown to not blow over or float away in the worst weather conditions experienced off Scotland’s coast, my money will be going on the conventional fixed base variety.
Frank says
Rump is an embarrassment to me, and I voted against him. The first floater was put up in 2008.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_wind_turbine
The artist shows a 2 bladed turbine, which is obviously wrong.
Nigel West says
I like ‘rump’ steak!
BTW, Cold Northcott wind farm in Cornwall, UK has two bladed machines.
Helmut Frik says
Wold not be sure of that. Two wing turbines are cheaper, but are more noisy and rotate faster, which is less comfortable for the eye. But outside sight at Offsoreparks far from shore they are under consideration again.
One less rotor saves the costs for the rotor blade, the tower gets less wind forces, and the generator, in case of direct drive, rotates faster, which allows a smaller generator.
Also One-wind wind generators work, again rotating faster, but are very inconvenient to look at during operation.
http://www.udo-leuschner.de/basiswissen/SB109-3.htm
I remember a single wing prototype of the University of Stuttgart which used the whole generator as couterweight. Worked with little forces on the bearings, but looked completely crazy in operation.
Frank says
The article said they are installing a 9mw Vestas turbine right now. I only know of one turbine that fits that description. http://www.mhivestasoffshore.com/new-24-hour-record/
Helmut Frik says
Well the April Joke mixes up several data and trends. One is the prottype with 9 MW, but that is well below 300m tip height and also below 100m blade length. Another is the question if two blade systems would not be more efficient in offshore environment. Also swiming systems are a trend, because when it works they can be produced in series at the factory and transported as on e pice to the place where they are installed. Which skips almost all expensive labour out at sea.
Are Hansen says
Isn’t it a bit early to post April’s Fool jokes at 31th march?
😉
John Nightingale says
Fooled me for a long time! Well done! John Nightingale
PS It WAS a joke, I hope!
Helmut Frik says
To me it looks like a joke of someone who has knowledge about future and ongoing developments in the area of offshore wind turbines. Some details are not unfamiliar :), While other parts are obviously not real.
Hans says
I especially liked:
“it would be that of a 3 metre tall object situated 20 metres away from an observer that was 2cms tall.”
Are Hansen says
Yes, and the bit about the towers being 3000 m high (!)
Helmut Frik says
You mean 300m tip height?
Well the test center for this size of wind turbines is on the way in Danmark: http://www.offshorewind.biz/2016/11/03/danish-govt-to-propose-new-wind-tech-test-sites-in-december/
But the blades would be longer than 100m, and the power output well above 10 MW, and such turbines are not yet available. But in discussion and development, as far as the informations I get is correct.
Are Hansen says
Yes, I got a zero too much there
Kevin J. Rice says
Can someone verify this? It looks legit, but the F-U to Trump is huge, and I’d like some confirmation. Obviously 2 bladed turbines are wrong, but the article had to photoshop something. There are a lot of floating wind turbine stories out there, and more are being built all the time, so this is plausible.
Karel Beckman says
Do note that construction of this project started on 1 April …
Mike Parr says
Dear All, thank you for your responses – for the avoidance of doubt – yes it was a joke ……….but…….in fact the planning status of moored objects in the Firth of Clyde has yet to be established 🙂
(now form an orderly queue!).
grant wilson says
Dear Mike, thanks for posting this well thought through article – and thanks to Karl for allowing it to be published too.