WIND FARMS / WIND TURBINES etc - In Northumberland, Cumbria, County Durham & "offshore" from each coast

[Steve Ellwood]

Further to my photographs, 13th March 2017 @ https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpo...&postcount=835 these images to show the progress taken yesterday, 2nd April 2017.








Images hosted on https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-...57677891083034

[denm]

This from the News & Star,--


Cut fuel bills with wind power
Wind turbines could cut your electricity bills and make your home greener, but beware - they are only suitable for homes in certain locations.




1. The advantages of having a wind turbine are that any electricity generated by it is free (although you obviously have to pay for the turbine and installation) and your home's CO2 emissions are reduced. Your turbine should also earn you money through the Government's Feed-in Tariffs scheme - see www.energysavingtrust.org.uk. This pays you not only for the electricity you generate and use, but also for any you export to the national grid.

Read more http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/propert...80f2b59f153-ds

[Steve Ellwood]

Originally Posted by thenorthumbrian

Smulders Yard on the Tyne.



http://www.offshorewind.biz/2017/05/...atrice-jacket/

Originally Posted by paddytoonleics

I spotted these from the hill on Grandstand Road the other day!

These photographs taken this afternoon, 26th May 2016 to give a view from the south side of the Tyne.


















Images hosted on https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-...57681194462074

[Steve Ellwood]

Further to my photographs @ https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpo...&postcount=161 these images taken yesterday, 26th May 2017.
















Images hosted on https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-ellwood/

Cc East End Area (Byker, Heaton, Walker) - Developments

[denm]

Some excellent photos there Steve,--they are some size,---cheers,

[Steve Ellwood]

Courtesy of the Hexham Courant @ http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news...4dbadae480b-ds
Ray Wind Farm up and running
20 June 2017


An aerial view of Ray Wind Farm, near Kirkwhelpington.

A NEW 16-turbine wind farm is now fully operational at its site near Kirkwhelpington.

Ray Wind Farm, on the Ray Estate, was a £90m investment from Swedish energy company Vattenfall, and all 16 turbines are now up and running. Construction on Ray Wind Farm commenced at the end of July 2015.

The 54.4MW wind farm will produce enough fossil fuel-free power each year to meet the annual demand of over 30,000 UK households.

Gunnar Groebler, Vattenfall’s head of business area wind, said: “I would like to congratulate Vattenfall colleagues and contractors for a job safely done, on time and to budget. We have been encouraged by cross party support for determined action on climate change in the General Election. We’re convinced that onshore wind can and will help keep energy bills down for consumers and businesses, whilst driving clean economic growth. That is why we continue to develop good projects in the UK.”

Vattenfall is putting a £250,000 community benefit fund in place annually for the rest of its lifespan for community organisations within a 10km radius of the wind farm.

http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news...4dbadae480b-ds

[Steve Ellwood]

The Wind farm Gravity Base's are now complete and ready for towing out to sea. Last week they were supposed to have been towed down river to the Port of Tyne's Riverside Quay but poor weather conditions prevented the operation.

The tow out is now due to take place later in the month when it is hoped that high tide conditions will enable the transit to take place. Dutch tugs which have been chartered for the work are currently berthed in Blyth.

This is a screen shot from https://www.marinetraffic.com showing the AIS signals being emitted from the base's:



These photographs taken 26th June 2017, dry dock filled with water and ready for tow out, but postponed.














Images hosted on https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-ellwood/

[Steve Ellwood]

Images hosted on https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-ellwood/

[Steve Ellwood]

From today's Bdaily @ https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2017/0...ming-a-reality
‘Ground-breaking’ Blyth offshore wind farm project fast-becoming a reality
Jamie Hardesty 11 July 2017



The first turbine foundation of an eagerly-anticipated wind farm development off the coast of Blyth is making its journey up the River Tyne, a notable milestone for the project.

EDF Energy Renewables is currently building the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Wind Farm after taking over responsibility for the scheme from Narec (now ORE Catapult) in October 2014. The project will see five wind turbines with a total generating capacity of 41.5MW installed around 6.5km off the coast of Blyth. Once operational, they will generate enough low carbon electricity to power around 34,000 homes.*

Concrete gravity based foundations (GBFs) form part of the project and are being installed using a new “float and submerge” method – the first time this method has been used for offshore wind turbines. Designed and built by Royal BAM Group in the Neptune dry dock on the Tyne, the GBFs are being floated into position at sea and submerged onto the seabed to provide the support structures that act as the foundations for the installation of the wind turbines. Each GBF is made up of more than 1,800m3 of concrete and weighs over 15,000 tonnes when fully installed on the seabed. The structures have a total height of around 60 metres from the base to the access platform.

The GBFs have been constructed at the Neptune dry dock over the past 12 months by BAM Nuttall and these structures will be floated down the river to the Port of Tyne, where extra ballast will be added ahead of their ‘tow-out’ to the offshore wind farm site.

Once the GBFs are put into position over the summer, specialist contractor VBMS will start laying the inter array cables that will connect the individual wind turbines. Installation of five MHI Vestas V164 turbines will then commence once the cable is securely buried on the sea bed. The turbines will have a power rating of 8.3MW – the largest to be used on an offshore wind farm. It is anticipated that the turbines will start generating power by the end of the year.

Read more @ https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2017/0...ming-a-reality

[Steve Ellwood]

The Wind Farm Gravity Base's are being moved down from the Neptune Yard to Riverside Quay, South Shields for eventual tow out to the new offshore wind farm off Blyth.

These snaps taken yesterday of two of the bases lying alongside the Riverside Quay, taken from Western Quay, North Shields, 13th July 2017.








Images hosted on http://GeordiePhotographs.fototime.c...%20Ship%20Yard

[Steve Ellwood]

Courtesy of the News Post Leader @ http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/news...heme-1-8655679
Good progress being made on turbines scheme
18 July 2017


The first of the gravity based foundations is transported along the River Tyne ahead of its tow-out to the offshore windfarm site. Picture by Chris Henderson Photography.

A pioneering windfarm development off the coast of Blyth has reached a notable milestone. Two of the foundations for the five turbines have been transported along the River Tyne on route to their final destination.

EDF Energy Renewables is currently building the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Windfarm after taking over responsibility for the scheme from Narec (now ORE Catapult) in October 2014. The turbines, which will be installed around 6.5km off the coast of Blyth, will have a total generating capacity of 41.5MW. Once operational, they will generate enough low carbon electricity to power about 34,000 homes.

Concrete gravity based foundations (GBFs) form part of the project. They have been constructed at the Neptune dry dock over the past 12 months by BAM Nuttall. Two of the structures were recently transported along the river to the Port of Tyne, where extra ballast will be added ahead of their tow-out to the offshore windfarm site. The other three GBFs will make the same journey at a later date. Once they are put into position, specialist contractor VBMS will start laying the inter array cables that will connect the individual wind turbines.

It is anticipated that they will start generating power by the end of the year. EDF Energy Renewables CEO, Matthieu Hue, said: “This ground-breaking scheme will benefit the North East and it will also help the UK to meet its future low carbon electricity needs.”

Read more at: http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/news...heme-1-8655679

[denm]

This from the Westmorland Gazette,--

Bid to keep Kirkby Moor wind turbines working till 2027



A BID to keep the turbines turning at Kirkby Moor Wind Farm for eight extra years is being made.

The collection of 12 three-bladed 400kW turbines, sited on heather moorland at Kirkby Moor and Lowick High Commons, was one of the UK's first and began generating electricity back in August 1993.

The wind farm 2km south-east of Grizebeck is due to reach the end of its 25-year permitted life in August 2018. But London-based Zephyr Investments is seeking consent from South Lakeland District Council to keep the turbines in situ until March 2027, followed by another year to decommission the site.

Read more http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co....ing_till_2027/

[Steve Ellwood]

Barry S. Barge and En Avant 20 outbound from the Port of Blyth to Rotterdam, photographed 3rd September 2017 from Seaton Sluice.

Barry S. Barge had been employed on the Blyth Offshore Windfarm project, carrying sand used in the ballast for the gravity base foundations for wind turbines.

Barry S. Barge:

Callsign:SIMP
MMSI:244130508

En Avant 20:

Ex Name CLAUS

Imo 9408645
Mmsi 244790685
Callsign PCUZ
Flag Netherlands
Port Of Registry DORDRECHT

Length Overall 32.0
Breadth Registered 11.0
Draught 4.25
Gross Tonnage 448
Net Tonnage 134
Deadweight 254

Manager : MULLER ZWAAR TRANSPORT B.V. Netherlands
Owner : EBRA BEHEER BV Netherlands

Year Built 2007
Country Place Of Build KIEL








Images hosted on http://GeordiePhotographs.fototime.c...20from%20Blyth

[Steve Ellwood]

Courtesy of the Chronicle Live, copyright NCJMedia Ltd @ http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/busin...rbine-13610110
Five 15,000 tonne wind turbine foundations successfully installed off the Northumberland coast
By Jonathon Manning 12 September 2017


The five Gravity Based Foundations for the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Project are in place and the next phase is underway (Image: EDF Energy Renewables)

Five major wind turbine foundations, each weighing 15,000 tonnes, have been successfully installed at an offshore wind farm off the coast of Blyth.

The five gravity based foundations (GBFs) have now been installed at the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Wind Farm, using a new “float and submerge” process – the first time the technique has been used for offshore wind turbines. The GBFs were designed and built by Royal BAM Group in the Neptune dry dock on the Tyne.

EDF Energy Renewables is currently delivering the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Wind Farm, after taking over the scheme from ORE Catapult in October 2014. The turbines are based 6.5km off the coast of Blyth and will generate a total of 41.5MW of electricity, which is enough to power around 34,000 homes.

Work is now underway to lay around 11km of cables offshore to connect the individual turbines and bring the electricity onshore. A further 1.5km of cable will then be used onshore to link the turbines to a new substation built at the site of the former Blyth power station.

EDF Energy Renewables director of operations, Don Mackay, said: “This is an important milestone in a ground-breaking project. The Blyth offshore wind demonstrator project incorporates several new and innovative features as part of its role in testing and proving new and emerging offshore installation methods and technologies. In addition, the wind farm will benefit the local community and help the country to meet its low-carbon energy needs.” The demonstration scheme will set a new technology benchmark for other similar offshore wind developments around the country.”

Read more @ http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/busin...rbine-13610110

[denm]

This from the News & Star,--

Trial run planned as parts for new wind farm are transported into Cumbria




Trial run planned as parts for new wind farm are transported into Cumbria

Hallburn Farm near Longtown, where six 415ft-high wind turbines will be built.

Components for six new wind turbines to be sited in north Cumbria will be moved into place in the coming weeks.

Hallburn Wind Farm
, near Longtown, is expected to generate electricity equivalent to the needs of 10,100 households.

The six 2.2MW turbines are set to be delivered, installed, commissioned and tested before the end of the year, while REG Power Management, which is overseeing the project, says that all work will be completed by February.

Read more http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/Tr...e45ab03fd72-ds

[Steve Ellwood]

Courtesy of http://www.offshorewind.biz/2017/09/...ampaign=buffer
First Turbine Installed at Blyth



Jan de Nul’s jack-up vessel Vole au Vent has installed the first of five 8.3MW MHI Vestas turbines at the 41.5MW Blyth Offshore Demonstrator project off the coast of Northumberland, UK, EDF Energy Renewables reports.

The installation of the first turbine was completed on Monday, 18 September. The gravity base foundations (GBFs) were installed last week using the new “float and submerge” process for the first time.

EDF’s CEO Matthieu Hue said: “This is great news to have the first of five turbines installed and brings us another step closer to completing this exciting and innovative project.” Wholly owned by EDF Energies Nouvelles, the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator project is being built by EDF Energy Renewables, a 50-50 UK joint venture between EDF Energies Nouvelles and EDF Energy.The project has consent for up to 15 turbines when fully constructed, with a maximum total generating capacity of 99.9MW.

Cable laying works being carried out by VBMS are now underway. Around 11 kilometres of buried 66Kv offshore cables will connect the individual turbines and bring the electricity onshore, where a further 1.5 kilometre of onshore cable will link directly to a new substation built on part of the site of the former Blyth power station.

Flemming Ougaard, MHI Vestas Chief Operations Officer, said: “We are delighted to have installed the first of 5 turbines at the Blyth Demonstrator Project safely and on time. In addition to providing clean energy for the UK, this collaboration with EDF Energy Renewables serves exceptionally important purposes for MHI Vestas, including the installation and operation of 66kV equipment – switchgear, transformer, and array cables. This positions our company well as the industry moves increasingly toward the 66kV standard.”

http://www.offshorewind.biz/2017/09/...ampaign=buffer

[Steve Ellwood]

These snaps of The Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Wind Farm taken from Whitley Bay, 30th September and 6th October 2017:
















Images hosted on https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve-...57687741132844

[denm]

Thanks for these xcellent photos Steve,--very professional,--cheers.

[Steve Ellwood]

From today's Chronicle Live, copyright NCJMedia Ltd @ http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/...-seas-13775385
Eyesore or energy saver? Why the North Sea's new wind turbines are causing quite the stir
Michael Muncaster 17 October 2017


The Vole Au Vent platform which has been erecting a new windfarm for EDF energy (Image: PA)

Five massive wind turbines installed off the Northumberland coast have certainly divided opinion. Work on the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Wind farm in the town was completed earlier this month.

Some people have welcomed the huge turbines, saying they will provide renewable, non-polluting power for around 34,000 homes. But others have branded the towering structures as an “eyesore” and claim they spoil the views of the North Sea.

Kathleen Featherstone, who has lived in Seaton Sluice for more than 30 years, said she was left “saddened” that the landscape had dramatically changed. In a letter, she said: “I know wind turbines have their uses and unfortunately are a necessary evil these days, but they are ugly and huge. The five that have been erected in the bay now dominate what was a beautiful, unspoilt landscape and they are there certainly for the rest of our lifetimes. To have them suddenly appear directly opposite our village, with no warning, and placed only a short distance from the coast, I think we are fully justified in feeling distressed.”

Matthieu Hue, chief executive officer of EDF Energy Renewables, said the wind farm will help the UK meet its future low carbon electricity needs. He said: “The five wind turbines have a total generating capacity of 41.5MW and, once operational, they will generate enough low carbon electricity to power around 34,000 homes. The size of the turbines installed are in line with the original approval. The turbines are the most powerful to be used on an offshore wind farm. It is also the first time that 66kV offshore cables, which bring the electricity onshore, have been used on an offshore wind farm. Another innovation is the unique float and submerge method deployed to install the five gravity based foundations, which were floated into position off the coast of Northumberland, submerged onto the seabed and further ballasted to provide the support structures that act as the foundations for the turbines. It is the first time that this method has been used on an offshore wind farm.”

Read more @ http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/...-seas-13775385

[Steve Ellwood]

From, today's insider Media Limited @ https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2017/1...e-in-newcastle
North East hailed for offshore wind farm contribution
Matthew Ord 9 November 2017



The North East has the potential to power more than 3.4 million UK homes when all of the offshore wind farms in the region are developed and deployed to full capacity, according to NOF Energy.

The organisation also praised the area's supply chain, which employs several thousand people, for being actively involved in the development of offshore wind farms across the world.

Already home to Blyth Offshore Wind Farm, the North East will also host the four similar schemes at Dogger Bank. In addition, companies in the region are being sought to meet the operation and maintenance requirements of neighbouring developments including Triton Knoll, Moray Offshore Wind Farm and Hornsea Project Two.

NOF's remarks come as the North East's contribution to the Offshore Wind industry and the UK's energy requirements is celebrated as part of Offshore Wind Week, which runs from 6-10 November. This will include the Offshore Wind North East 2017 Conference and Exhibition in County Durham on 9 November.

Joanne Leng MBE, deputy chief executive of NOF Energy and deputy chair of Energi Coast, said: "The North East is at the leading edge of innovation around offshore wind and has a growing supply chain base with a great future outlook to export their expertise globally. The cultural and strategic shift from oil and gas into offshore wind in the past decade has paid dividends for North East companies with transferable technology-led solutions, skills and experience that have been applied to the growing renewables market. We are no longer waiting for offshore wind to arrive; it is well and truly here with the potential of creating a large number of jobs in the region and bringing new business opportunities to our shores."

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider...m-contribution