That's a serious amount of wind power...

[Gilligan]

What is the cost per kwh to their customers?

I'd have to check since I don't know the number off the top of my head, but I do know that it's dropping like a stone in the last few years as operators laser focus on costs and production efficiencies. Huge drops...47% down in the last three years for the UK farms we work on. In fact, last June, it was something of a major milestone announced with much fanfare as the LCOE for UK offshore wind operations dropped to below that for their nuke power sources. Pretty similar results in Denmark and Germany. Only fossil-fueled sources are still cheaper.

3 or 4 years ago..I was scoffing openly at the possibility it would become an economically viable and sustainable technology.

They've currently got over 4000 turbines offshore "over there" (or "over here"..depending in which side of the pond I'm on...) and will have double that number by 2025.

 

[Gilligan]

I believe what's being built now, is nothing like even 10 years ago..

Turbines being built now for offshore wind do not resemble those being built even 3 years. Explosive technical developments taking place. The Siemens D7, for example... 6-7MW per turbine and very few moving parts.

 

[black dog]

Turbines being built now for offshore wind do not resemble those being built even 3 years. Explosive technical developments taking place. The Siemens D7, for example... 6-7MW per turbine and very few moving parts.

That's about 3x the MW output per unit compared to the turbines here on land in Indiana. Including what's planned for future expansion.

 

[Gilligan]

That's about 3x the MW output per unit compared to the turbines here on land in Indiana. Including what's planned for future expansion.

Reducing the number of turbines required for a given output and reducing the amount of time and money spent keeping them running are probably the two most intensely focused on area over here in the offshore industry. So, comparing a 3-year old 120 blade farm with one being built now, roughly 2/3 as many turbines that are themselves far more reliable will produce the same power.

They are so production-efficient over here now that they are within striking distance of a "one turbine per day" construction technology goal. Compare that to the many years it took to get five lousy obsolete wind turbines built and producing in the only US offshore wind "farm" that feeds Block Island.

The huge Dudgeon farm (100+ turbines) built about 35 nm out on Dogger Banks off of Great Yarmouth was started early this year and just went on line last month. These guys know their chit..and are the same guys that won all the recent US offshore lease auctions.

 

[limblips]

Curious as to how they transmit the power to onshore. I assume large cables. They must parallel them to a large central cable going onshore? What do the onshore stations look like? No real need to know, just interested.

 

[Gilligan]

Curious as to how they transmit the power to onshore. I assume large cables. They must parallel them to a large central cable going onshore? What do the onshore stations look like? No real need to know, just interested.

The power from each turbine is aggregated at a central point in each farm and then piped ashore as DC power to a substation facility that inverts it to AC and feeds it to the grid. As the industry grows by leaps and bounds, various technologies are found wanting in turn; at the moment it is transformers. Apparently, the wide variability in power flows associated with wind power are not something transformers that large typically had to deal with on a routine hourly and daily basis. Lots of failures. Lots of money being thrown at transformer developments now...

Still a great deal of money being spent on improving cable designs, cable termination technologies and cable installation/laying equipment too.

 

[Gilligan]

Smokin' in Belgium!


http://www.offshorewind.biz/2017/10/23/offshore-wind-breaks-record-in-belgium/?utm_source=emark&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-update-offshore-wind-2017-10-24&uid=69352

 

[black dog]

Gilligan, if your looking for another project, lol,, check Craigslist Florida, the keys ,boats
There's a sweet powered with a H&M, looks in pretty good shape..

 

[Gilligan]

Gilligan, if your looking for another project, lol,, check Craigslist Florida, the keys ,boats
There's a sweet powered with a H&M, looks in pretty good shape..

Thanks but no. I've got a '72 Champ XVII that I need to restore yet. Engine (H&M 428) and jet unit have been all done for a while. But "paint and body" work still to do. I'm adding a 20' x 50' addition to the shop just for paint and body work..the messy stuff..because I can never find the time and space to get it done otherwise and it holds everything up on projects.

There are hundreds of "project boats" that will be pouring out of the keys for the next year or so. So sad....

 

[black dog]

Thanks but no. I've got a '72 Champ XVII that I need to restore yet. Engine (H&M 428) and jet unit have been all done for a while. But "paint and body" work still to do. I'm adding a 20' x 50' addition to the shop just for paint and body work..the messy stuff..because I can never find the time and space to get it done otherwise and it holds everything up on projects.

There are hundreds of "project boats" that will be pouring out of the keys for the next year or so. So sad....

Oh I understand about the boats, I'm dealing with that myself...

 

[GURPS]

have you gotten in on the 2 'Jones Act Compliant' Jackup Off Shore Wind Installation Ships being built in the US ?

[as reported in July / Aug MarExt]

 

[Gilligan]

have you gotten in on the 2 'Jones Act Compliant' Jackup Off Shore Wind Installation Ships being built in the US ?

[as reported in July / Aug MarExt]

We are not in that sector or ship type. We're busy negotiating some build partnerships for crew transfer vessels (CTVs). Like the one I'm here in Denmark working on now..

 

[GURPS]

We are not in that sector or ship type. We're busy negotiating some build partnerships for crew transfer vessels (CTVs). Like the one I'm here in Denmark working on now..

Oh ok ...

- off shore wind farm support boats [one boat is the same as another]

 

[Gilligan]

Oh ok ...

- off shore wind farm support boats [one boat is the same as another]

Rusty boats...that resemble vans...

 

[black dog]

Rusty boats...that resemble vans...

Same guys think a evo fl looks like a pan fl... :shrug: