First power exported from Hunterston Offshore Wind Turbine Test Facility
SSE Renewables reached a significant milestone after electricity was exported for the first time from its offshore wind turbine test facility at Hunterston, North Ayrshire.
The Siemens SWT-6.0-154 wind turbine, is 177 metres high, and incorporates the latest offshore turbine technology to generate six Megawatts (MW) of electricity.
The Hunterston site, on the North Ayrshire coast, has similar wind conditions to those found offshore, as well as access to the Grid and an adjacent jetty for facilitating component deliveries.
This makes it an ideal location for turbine manufacturers to test their latest turbine equipment before deploying it offshore.
Ian Flannagan, SSE’s Project Construction Manager, said: “It’s great to see the Siemens wind turbine generating electricity for the first time which is testament to the hard work and commitment shown by everyone involved in the project.
“We are busy preparing the site ahead of the second turbine, a Mitsubishi SeaAngel 7MW offshore wind model, arriving in a few months time.”
Clark MacFarlane, Managing Director, Siemens Wind Power Offshore UK&I said: “We are delighted with the news of first power for our 6MW turbine at Hunterston. This is another important milestone for our next generation wind turbine technology.
“The SSE and Siemens team has worked extremely hard to get to this point and should feel proud of their achievement in delivering this important clean energy project.”
The project, the UK’s first onshore test site for offshore turbines, is being supported by Scottish Enterprise, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department of Business, Innovations and Skills (BIS).
UK Energy and Climate Minister, Greg Barker said: “SSE Renewable’s test site for offshore wind turbines is an exciting and innovative project. It will help the country take another step towards delivering £110 billion investment into our energy sector while helping to support local jobs.”
Hunterston was identified for potential renewable energy supply chain development in the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan. The £20million funding of the project includes a commitment of up to £4.4million by Scottish Enterprise from the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund. Scottish Enterprise is developing one of the three test berths at the site.