Dong Energy has unveiled Horns Rev 2, the world's largest offshore wind farm. Situated in the North Sea, off Denmark's west coast at Jutland, has been constructed a cost of $690 million (around Rs.3,300 crore). Horns Rev 2, with 91 turbines of 2.3-mw each, is spread over 35 km2. The farm is 30 km from the shore, also making it the farthest project from the coast, anywhere in the world.
With a total capacity of around 210 mw, the wind farm can produce enough power to 2 lakh homes, it is learnt. The power generated by the wind farm will be purchased by a group of private and public enterprises that have forged 'climate partnerships' with the company. The wind farm began its first supply f power to the Danish electricity grid in May this year. Construction work began in May last.
Horns Rev 2 a significant part of the company's transition from conventional to eco-friendly power generation, according to Fritz H Schur, chairman of the supervisory board. Dong aims to treble its renewable power capacity by 2020.
Horns Rev 2 is the ninth wind farm to be established off Denmark's coast since 1991. Largely, an island country (except for a border with Germany), Denmark has a coastline of over 7,300 km (larger than India's 7,000 km) that provides scope for offshore wind farms albeit with technical challenges. For the Horns Rev 2 project, a floating hotel was deployed that housed up to 80 technicians working on the project.
The wind farm was formally inaugurated on September 17, 2009, at the hands of HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in the presence of other national dignitaries.
Denmark, a very active proponent of wind energy, ranked ninth globally in terms of installed wind power capacity. As of December 31, 2008, the European nation had 3,180 mw of wind power capacity standing for 2.6 per cent of the world's total of some 120.8 GW. |