Offshore Wind Test Site

Narec's plans to develop an offshore wind farm site in the North Sea, comprising 20 ! pre-consented "pods", at which tenants may deploy their prototype or demonstration turbines and foundations. These pods will be in four rows, increasing in distance offshore and with water depths of 15, 35, 45 and 55 metres to allow testing of alternative installation and foundation types, as indicated below. It would provide an offshore wind demonstration site with conditions representative of typical Round 3 offshore wind projects. The first phase of this development comprises expenditure of £18.5 million, planned to be funded by DECC, and covering the cost of acquiring the two near shore turbines, together with building the onshore grid connection substation and an offshore environmental monitoring station and undertaking environmental monitoring prior to deployment of additional turbines in the offshore pods. Currently there is an information failure around the understanding of prototype wind farm design for offshore applications. The funding will also cover Narec support projects in wind and marine and site infrastructure development required. £4.35 SP will complement this government funding in 2011/12 to complete electrical infrastructure work required to form a connection point onshore for accepting the offshore energy generated. The two existing turbines which are about 1 km from the coastline are likely to be 1 used as 'test beds' for new components. It is not anticipated that they will 'appear' ! any different as their overall dimensions will remain the same and no changes are envisioned to their foundations however it is likely that equipment will be attached to the turbines for testing (possibly wave power generation). The five turbines located within the first row of the new demonstration site are expected to be 'prototypes' built 1' by manufacturers that cannot secure onshore sites for testing due to the size of the new turbines and possibly noise and visual issues. These turbines will be installed at I least 2km from the shoreline.