World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

June 8, 2003 – Vol.8 No.11

WORLD WIND WATCH.

There’s a proposal on the drawing board of Energia Hidroelectrica de Navarra (EHN) of Spain to build a 500 turbine wind farm in waters off the country’s southeast coast. The problem for what would be the world’s largest wind farm? It is the same stretch of ocean that gave Britain rule over the waves for more than a century.

At least 4408 French and Spanish seamen and 449 British died in the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21,1805 when the Royal Navy under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson fought the Combined Fleets of the French and Spanish navies to stop Napoleon’s plans to expand his control of Europe. More aggressive and daring British tactics, along with their better paid and better trained seaman, ruled the day, but Admiral Nelson died in combat.

The site, now a graveyard for men and ships, is only one of a few locations off the coast of Spain where there are good wind resources along with relatively shallow waters needed to plant the turbines.

Opposition to the Trafalgar project is from groups such as the Nautical Archeological Society in the U.K. Learn more about the Battle at http://www.nelsonsnavy.co.uk/ , Visit EHN at http://www.ehn.es/

Arklow Offshore, an up-to-200-turbine project now under construction in the Irish Sea by Irish utility Airtricity, should have its first turbines - seven GE Wind Energy 3.6 megawatt - operating by the end of the year when this first $58 million phase of the project is complete. The turbines, which GE will own and operate for up to two years, have a rotor diameter of 328 feet are to be planted in waters 6.25 miles (10 kilometers) from the coast. Visit Airtricity at http://www.airtricity.net/, GE Wind Energy at http://www.gewindenergy.com/ .

Bluewater Wind has proposed a 140 megawatt project for Atlantic waters off the south coast of Long Island. GE Wind Energy 3.6 megawatt turbines were also chosen for the 39 turbine, $250 -300 million project.

Though the project is along a shoreline known for its beaches and expensive beach-front homes, the turbines would be installed more than 6.5 miles from the coast. At that distance the tall machines would be dots on the horizon on clear days. Bluewater includes simulations of the project, as well as a video promoting the project at its website at http://www.bluewaterwind.com/

Back on terra firma, a power purchase agreement signed by Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E) will allow FPL Energy to double the size of its Oklahoma Wind Energy Center to 102 megawatts. The first 51 megawatts from the project now under construction have already been sold to the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority.

The completed project on 1200 acres near Woodward will have 68, 1.5 megawatt turbines and should be operating by the end of this year. OG&E, which expects approval of the expansion, is now working on pricing plans for wind energy that would be offered to customers next year. The company claims wind energy was considered in response to customer interest in clean energy. Visit FPL at http://www.fplenergy.com/ and OG& E at http:www.oge.com/