First Serco Wind Farm Radar Fully Operational

Serco has received confirmation from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) that the first of the company’s five new or upgraded Air Defence radars which prevent wind farms interfering with the UK’s air defence capability is now fully operational.

Trials and analyses have shown that the Remote Radar Head (RRH) Trimingham in Norfolk provides acceptable mitigation to the effects of the Sheringham Shoal wind farm in all climatic conditions experienced in the UK, Serco said.

The radar has been provided and installed under a contract awarded to Serco in 2010, with further contracts being awarded to realise the same capability at four other UK locations where Air Defence radars are affected by wind farm developments, namely: RRH Brizlee Wood, Northumberland; RRH Staxton Wold, North Yorkshire; RRH Buchan, Eastern Scotland; and RRH Benbecula, Western Scotland.

Each of these radars is now expected to progressively achieve full operating capability, Serco said, enabling a potential 4GW of renewable electricity created by onshore and offshore wind farms, equivalent to providing up to 11% of the UK annual electricity need from sovereign sources.

In its capacity as prime contractor, Serco has been working with Lockheed Martin to optimise the necessary radar technology that mitigates the interference created by wind farm turbine blades; the lack of such technology had previously impeded the roll out of wind farms in line of sight of Air Defence radars.

Serco has also been responsible for the overall system performance, system installation, undertaking the safety case analysis, installing new ground to air radios and, in addition, providing ongoing consultancy to the energy companies in relation to their plans for future wind farm developments for a period until 2018.

“The Full Operating Capability declaration for the MOD’s first TPS-77 radar at Trimingham, which is against the Sheringham Shoal wind farm development, represents a major milestone in the work to mitigate the effects of wind farms on military air defence operations,” Christopher Carpenter, MOD’s project director and senior engineer, said.

”The MOD has worked in partnership with Serco, The Crown Estate and the Wind Industry to implement and subsequently optimise the radar for its mitigation capability for the Sheringham Shoal wind farm. The experience gained during this process builds on the Ministry Of Defence’s reputation globally as a leading exponent of Air Defence radar wind farm mitigation. This experience will be invaluable when assessing, on a case-by-case basis, subsequent applications to use the TPS-77 radars for wind farm mitigation.”

The trade group RenewableUK has also been heavily involved with this initiative.

RenewableUK’s Chief Executive, Maria McCaffery, said: “We’re delighted that the TPS-77 air defence radar at Trimingham has been accepted by the Ministry of Defence. Its suitability for use at Sheringham Shoal is a significant milestone for the industry, which could result in the equipment being accepted in other projects. Serco has played a pivotal role in addressing the MOD’s air defence radar concerns. We’re proud of the contribution the wind industry has made and will continue to support this initiative in the future.”