The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Green energy hopes as turbine erected at docks
Renewables construction project is a first for the Port of Dundee
Hopes are high Dundee can attract more renewable energy work after completion of the first offshore wind turbine assembly project at the city’s docks.
Over the course of the past week, a wind turbine tower has been raised on to its innovative floating steel base at the Port of Dundee’s Prince Charles Wharf.
Workers then completed the tricky technical challenge of attaching the blades to the gearbox nacelle.
The turbine will be towed out to form part of the £250 million Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm site which is under development in the North Sea around 15 kilometres offshore between Stonehaven and Aberdeen.
Port of Dundee manager David Webster said the project was the first of its kind to take place in the city.
“The floating semi-spar foundation came in last month,” Mr Webster said.
“The tower sections, the nacelle and the blades were then assembled here over the course of the last week.
“This is the first of this kind of turbine with the floating semi-spar foundation and it is the first turbine that we have assembled in Dundee.
“But this is the second project that we have carried out this year that has involved industry leading renewable technology.
“From a Port of Dundee perspective what it does is show the marine and infrastructure capabilities that we can offer.”
The development plan for the Kincardine test and demonstration project originally envisaged the installation of eight turbines, but a variance applied for last year has seen that total drop to seven.
The Dundee assembled turbine is scheduled to be shipped out within days and will be the first to be hooked up.
At two megawatts, the turbine is significantly less powerful than six larger units which will follow in the months to come.
They will be among the most powerful turbines in the world, with a potential rating of up to 8.4MW each.
In total. the Kincardine development is expected to produce enough power for 56,000 homes.
Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Limited was set up by Pilot Offshore Renewable Energy – itself a joint venture between MacAskill Associates Limited and Renewable Energy Ventures (Offshore) Limited – and infrastructure giant Atkins.
The works at Dundee have been carried out by Bourbon and Green Cat Renewables.
City development convener, councillor Lynne Short, said she was pleased to see offshore renewables work coming into the Port and said any new contracts would bring further ancillary benefits to the city in the wider workforce and supply chain.
“There is a big emphasis on bringing decommissioning work to Dundee but renewables is still very much on our radar,” said Ms Short.