Dong Energy has entered into a deal with SmartWind Technologies for providing the dual-Doppler radar system for offshore wind measurement.
According to the deal, these two radar units will be installed on the UK east coast by 2016, near the Westermost Rough Offshore Wind Farm, developed by Dong Energy.
The wind plant is currently under construction and will be completed by 2016.
The radars implemented as part of the Beacon scheme developed by Dong will produce high-resolution dynamic maps with an ability to quickly scan the flow field in and around an entire wind farm.
These high resolution maps will enable the integration of the wind measurements into the design and operation of offshore wind farms in a more upgraded manner.
The 18-month measurement BEACon scheme (Beamed Radar for Energy Assessment and Site Conditions) forms a part of the research and development project that focus on wind farm wakes, power curve measurements and wind turbine load validation.
The project is the first of its kind where radar will be used for offshore wind measurement with the team conducting the test and demonstrating new radars.
Besides, the project BEACon provides vital knowledge which can be applied across the entire portfolio to lower the cost of electricity.
With the data collected from the BEACon project, Dong Energy can enhance the norms and models used in optimizing wind farm layouts and in the design of turbine foundations.
While developing new offshore wind farms, wind data is one of the key drivers of the layout.
Besides their impact on the wind farm production, the wind conditions also influence the capital expenditure through the foundation design.
Recently, MHI Vestas signed a deal with Dong Energy for supplying wind turbines for the initial phase of Walney extension offshore wind farm in U.K.
Under the deal, MHI Vestas will supply V164-8.0 MW wind turbines for phase 1 of the offshore project.
The project will be completed in two phases, comprising of 330 MW of capacity each.
Sabeena Wahid
editor@greentechlead.com