World’s second largest wind farm
On the 7th of August 2013, Energy and Business Minister Michael Fallon opened the Greater Gabbard wind farm, situated 14 miles off the coast of Suffolk. With a capacity of 504MW, it is the world’s second largest wind farm, costing £1.3 billion.
The newly-opened wind farm is supporting local businesses, creating hundreds of jobs, and holds the capacity to generate enough energy to power 500,000 homes. But it doesn’t stop there; in 2017 the Galloper wind farm extension will open and, as a result, the 140-turbine project will double in size.
Michael Fallon said, “The UK leads the world in offshore wind power generation with more capacity than the rest of the world combined, and we want to see this sector grow even further. This sector is an engine of our economy. By the end of this decade, tens of thousands of additional jobs could be created in the supply chain for offshore wind throughout the UK.”
The new Greater Gabbard wind farm underlines the strong position of the UK – which The Manufacturer has described as “the world’s largest offshore wind market” – and additional funding is in the pipeline. With such a substantial amount of money being spent on such projects, it is essential to acknowledge the fact that wind turbines can and will fail if they are not properly monitored. Explosions and fires are catastrophes that can occur as a result of a lack of efficient monitoring. Predictive maintenance using wireless vibration monitoring offers a solution; through continuously monitoring the wind turbine’s health and activity, information can be used to reduce the risk of turbine failure. This is achieved through tracking the bearing’s vibration patterns, which indicate when maintenance is required. This method of monitoring also reduces further costs, such as unnecessary maintenance and shutdowns. Issues such as bearing and generator failures due to shaft misalignment and other causes can be avoided through the use of vibration monitoring, which is vital, considering the cost of enterprises such as the new Greater Gabbard wind farm.
