Two of the world’s largest wind turbines have been installed off the coast of Yorkshire, with blades reaching 60 meters (196 feet) long.
Manufactured by Siemens, these gigantic 6-megawatt turbines are so big, they needed a ship built specifically for the installation. So far they are being used on an experimental basis to evaluate performance levels, but according to Denmark-based DONG energy group, the wind farm operators, dozens more of these will be installed about five miles offshore to reach 210 megawatts total.
DONG’s plan is to install 300 of these by 2017 at various locations in the United Kingdom. Energy analysts see this as a reflection of the growing interest among energy companies to develop bigger, more efficient offshore wind turbines, with plans to eventually start producing them at 100 meters in length.
Europe is definitely taking some impressive leaps in terms of wind energy, including the activation of the world’s largest onshore wind farm in Romania. What do you think about wind turbines of this size? Is it a great step in the right direction for the wind industry, or do you think they are getting too big?
Image courtesy of Siemens AG
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