Thorntonbank Wind Farm
Belgian offshore wind farm in the North Sea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Thorntonbank Wind Farm (also known as C-Power) is an offshore wind farm. It is the first offshore wind farm in Belgium.
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- Belgium
| Thorntonbank Wind Farm | |
|---|---|
Wind turbines D4 (nearest) to D1 on the Thornton Bank | |
 | |
| Country |
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| Location | 28 km north off the Belgian coast |
| Coordinates | 51°33′06″N 2°58′01″E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began |
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| Commission date |
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| Construction cost | € 1.3 billion |
| Wind farm | |
| Type | |
| Max. water depth |
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| Distance from shore |
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| Rotor diameter |
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| Site area |
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| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 6 × 5 MW 48 × 6.15 MW |
| Make and model | Senvion 6.2M126 (48) Senvion REpower 5M (6) |
| Nameplate capacity |
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| External links | |
| Website | c-power |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
Electricity production started in early 2009, with a capacity of 30 MW. The capacity was increased to a total of 214 MW in 2012 and 325 MW in 2013.[1]
Phases
First phase
The first phase was built by C-Power, at a cost of €153 million.[2] It was commissioned in June 2009.[3][4]
The first phase of what will ultimately be a 325 MW wind farm was completed in September 2008. The six REpower 5 MW turbines, which were installed on concrete gravity foundations, were linked to the Belgian power grid, giving a total rated capacity of 30 MW for the first stage.[5] The full story of the design, engineering, construction and installation of the Thorntonbank Wind Farm (first phase) is told in an illustrated book that was published in November 2010.[6][7]
Second and third phase
In these phases, a total of 48 additional wind turbines of 6.15MWp were installed.[8]
Phase 2, completed in October 2012, comprises the installation of 30 of the 48 wind turbines.[1] These wind turbines have been installed on steel jacket foundations designed by OWEC Tower AS and assembled at the Smulders shipyard in Hoboken, Antwerp.[9]
In the third and last phase, completed in September 2013, the remaining 18 wind turbines were installed, bringing the total capacity to around 325 MW.[1][10]
Environmental assessment
Financing
Thorntonbank was only the second offshore wind farm to be project financed.[13]
Gallery
Wind turbine D1
Wind turbines D1 to D6
Wind turbine bases under construction
Wind turbine bases under construction
As seen from the Belgian coast, demonstrating the curvature of the Earth; the more distant windmills look to be underwater
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