The first six blades for the Burbo Bank Extension Project have arrived in Belfast Harbour’s offshore wind terminal from the Isle of Wight. They are 80 metres long – equivalent to the length of nine double decker London buses – and each blade weighs 35 tonnes. The blades will sweep an area larger than the London Eye (21,124 square metres) and are manufactured in the UK by MHI Vestas Offshore Wind. The towers are 88 metres high and are visible from across much of the city.
“Belfast Harbour is delighted to welcome MHI Vestas and to have the privilege of handling the world’s most powerful blades” said Joe O’Neill, Belfast Harbour’s Commercial Director. “In 2013, we completed the development of a 50 acre offshore wind terminal, the first bespoke facility of its kind in the UK in order to facilitate this style of operation. Supporting the growth of the renewable energy sector is something we are proud to be a part of and look forward to working with Vestas to ensure the successful completion of the Burbo Bank Extension Project.”
MHI Vestas CEO, Jens Tommerup, added that the serial production of the blades and their arrival in Belfast is a significant milestone for the industry. It marks the first time locally manufactured major components for offshore wind turbines are being used in the UK. These high-technology blades are hand-crafted to withstand the harshest conditions. Combined with Vestas manufacturing facility and the provision of a dedicated pre-assembly terminal by Belfast Harbour it’s now possible to start tapping into the potential of wind power from the Irish Sea.
The Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm, when complete, will generate enough renewable electricity to supply 230,000 homes. It will utilise the MHI Vestas V164-8.0 MW wind turbine, which is the world’s most powerful turbine model with significantly larger components than those previously handled in Belfast. After the turbines are assembled in Belfast they will be transported on a state-of-the-art jack up vessel which will install them on the seabed, just off the coast of Liverpool. The wind farm will cover 40 square kilometres, equivalent to almost 6,000 Premiership football pitches.
Once operational, the tip height of the blade and turbine will be almost 200 metres. The record level of energy produced from just one turbine in a 24 hour period is 192 MWh – the same amount of energy produced by 22,600 litres of oil. The blades, which were designed, tested and manufactured at the MHI Vestas plant on the Isle of Wight, will be the first UK built blades to be installed at a British offshore wind power plant.
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