According to Orsted (formerly DONG Energy), the Hornsea One windfarm has begun generating electricity. The windfarm, which is sited about 75 miles off the Yorkshire coast, will be the largest offshore windfarm in the world when it is completed, being almost twice the size of the current leader, the Walney Extension, which has a capacity of 659 MW.
Orsted will continue to install turbines at the site, and work should be complete by late summer. Once finished, Hornsea One will comprise 174 7MW Siemens Gamesa turbines, making for a total capacity of 1.2 GW, enough to power more than a million homes.
Orsted’s UK Managing Director, Matthew Wright, said the project marked the introduction of a breed of offshore windfarms that could challenge the capacity of conventional power stations. He added
“The ability to generate clean electricity offshore at this scale is a globally significant milestone, at a time when urgent action needs to be taken to tackle climate change.”
Offshore wind power technology has made consistent progress in recent years, not just in terms of increases in scale and lower generation costs but also new technologies like the floating wind turbines at Scotland’s Hywind windfarm, whose operator Equinor is working with the Korea National Oil Corporation to explore opportunities for the technology in South Korea. The industry has also been helped out by corresponding improvements in lubricants, such as Mobil SHC Gear 320 WT from Mobil distributors, which can help extend drain intervals and reduce unscheduled downtime.
