First Turbine Up at Ireland's Largest Windfarm Project

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Ireland's largest planned windfarm has moved forward with the successful installation of the first wind turbine at the Galway Wind Park.

The turbine from Siemens AG (Munich, Germany) is the first one in for Phase I of the two-phase project. Phase I will have a generating capacity of 64 megawatts (MW) and is owned by Scotland's SSE plc (LSE:SSE) (Perth, Scotland). Phase II will have a generating capacity of 105 MW and is 50:50 owned by SSE and Ireland's state forestry company, Coillte (Newtownmountkennedy). The 169-MW Galway Wind Park will be capable of supplying enough power for approximately 84,000 homes--or almost 90% of all Galway homes. It will generate more than double the power of the 88.5 MW Meentycat onshore windfarm in Donegal, Ireland's largest operational windfarm. Industrial Info reported earlier this year that financing for Phase II had been secured. For additional information, see January 19, 2016, article--Finance Secured for Ireland's Largest Windfarm.

Galway Wind Park comprises a cluster of four windfarms: Cloosh, Lettercraffroe, Seecon and Uggool. SSE said that a number of the other turbines are partially assembled, with the bases and mid-towers installed. The nacelles, as well as the blades, hub and internal components, are produced in Denmark, while the turbine towers are manufactured in China and Vietnam. Many of the components are delivered through Galway Harbour.

Captain Bob Ellis, Deputy Harbour Master at Galway Harbour, said: "Being able to undertake this project is very important to the ongoing sustainability of Galway Harbour. Economically, the Galway Wind Park project will account for a significant portion of the Harbour's marine income over the next two years. As a harbour authority we have ambitious plans to develop new port facilities for Galway, which would, for instance, facilitate the delivery of all turbine components including larger-scale units direct into the region."

Wind plays a key role in Ireland's electricity mix. At the end of 2015, there were 206 windfarms--all onshore--in the Republic of Ireland, with a total generating capacity of 2,441 MW and capable of supplying 24% of the total power demand.

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