Heavy plate from Dillinger Hütte used in construction of the world’s highest capacity wind farm off the coast of England.
Walney, now the world’s largest offshore wind farm, opened off England’s western coast on 9 Feb. 2012. Dillinger Hütte supplied a total of about 36,000 tons of heavy plate in thicknesses ranging from 30 to 105 mm for the 102 wind turbines, which each feature a capacity of 3.6 MW. The wind farm was constructed about 15 km west of the English city of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria and covers an area of approximately 73 km².
The turbines are built on a foundation of monopiles – piling pipes that are each 56 meters in length, weigh approximately 600 tons and have a diameter of approximately 5.50 meters. These pipes are driven about 30 meters deep into the sea floor.
With the energy produced, up to 320,000 households can be supplied with electricity from wind. The wind farm therefore contributes significantly to achieving Britain’s ambitious climate goals, according to the operator, and represents a major step forward for Great Britain when it comes to reducing CO² emissions. The Walney wind farm surpasses what had been England’s highest capacity wind farm to date, Thanet, for which Dillinger Hütte likewise delivered about 46,000 tons of plate for the monopiles.
[mappress] Offshore WIND Staff, February 29, 2012