The
European Union has set their sights on renewable energy to the tune
of 20% of all generation to be in place by 2020. Therefore, there is
a rush to build offshore wind farms on the North Sea off Belgium,
Holland, Denmark & Germany. They're talking like 17,000
turbines, which keep getting bigger and bigger. Like I mean huge. How
about blades that are 3oo feet and more in diameter? Monopiles, (the
support shaft) are as large as 7 m.(21' to you metric illiterates) in
diameter and 200 feet tall. The turmine on top of all this is the
size of a house. So how do you build these behemoths that can be 100
miles offshore in 150 feet of water? Why you call up IHC Merwede in
Holland and order a huge seaworthy working platform. The latest
version, called Neptune, can carry and install a complete turbine in
a round trip from port in about 15 days, with accomodations for 60
workers.
Take
a look at the photo . The large platform is neptune working with a
smaller earlier model. They float out there under their own power,
set down the legs and jack up the whole thing to be clear of waves.
They have already set the tower and turbine nacelle. Note the rotor
blade laying on deck which goes up last. The platform has a heavy
duty crane that can easily lift the 316 ton nacelle, even double
that.
Not to
worry, bird lovers, the rotors turn so slow no one is going to get
hurt. When completed, the field shown, will generate electricity for
600,000 people. Well, if you don't have any dams, what are you gonna
do?
