Albany Wind Farm, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Albany wind farm is a wind power
station near Albany
, Western Australia
. It has 12 wind turbines, with a generating capacity of 21 MW of electricity
. It was commissioned in October 2001.
The farm has 12 wind turbine
generators
situated on site. The turbines are the model ENERCON
E-66, each with three 35 metres (115 ft) long blades made from fibreglass and kevlar
(making them very flexible in order to withstand any conditions) and are fitted to 65 metres (213 ft) towers. The nose cone which the blades attach to weighs around 14 tonnes. These turbines are the largest that have been installed in the southern hemisphere
. The turbines operate automatically, with the three blades adjusted to make best use of power output from any wind direction or strength. They have been designed to withstand the strongest winds likely in Albany and incorporate special lightning protection. Each turbine has a rating of 1.8 MW and is able to produce electrical energy at wind speeds of 7–130 km/h (3.6–66.3 knot) at which the turbines are shut down. Maximum output is achieved at a wind speed of 50 kilometres per hour (26 kn).
Albany wind farm is situated in Albany on the southern coast of Western Australia. The wind farm is about 12 kilometres (7 mi)12km south-west of the city. The positioning in which the generators have been situated is perfect. It is in an elevated position of approximately 80 metres (262 ft) above the Southern Ocean
. This height (makes it accessible to the wind), nearness to the coastline (coastline is where most wind is produced) and small distance to the main electricity
transmission system make this an outstanding wind farm site. The turbines produce an average of 75 per cent clean, green electricity for Albany.
The wind farm is owned by the Verve Energy
. The turbines were made in Germany
and then shipped into Australia. The wind farm opened in October 2001 and had taken ten years planning before the site was built.
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
station near Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It has 12 wind turbines, with a generating capacity of 21 MW of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. It was commissioned in October 2001.
The farm has 12 wind turbine
Turbine
A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work.The simplest turbines have one moving part, a rotor assembly, which is a shaft or drum with blades attached. Moving fluid acts on the blades, or the blades react to the flow, so that they move and...
generators
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
situated on site. The turbines are the model ENERCON
Enercon
Enercon GmbH, based in Aurich, Germany, is the fourth-largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world and has been the market leader in Germany since the mid-nineties. Enercon has production facilities in Germany , Sweden, Brazil, India, Canada, Turkey and Portugal...
E-66, each with three 35 metres (115 ft) long blades made from fibreglass and kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
(making them very flexible in order to withstand any conditions) and are fitted to 65 metres (213 ft) towers. The nose cone which the blades attach to weighs around 14 tonnes. These turbines are the largest that have been installed in the southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
. The turbines operate automatically, with the three blades adjusted to make best use of power output from any wind direction or strength. They have been designed to withstand the strongest winds likely in Albany and incorporate special lightning protection. Each turbine has a rating of 1.8 MW and is able to produce electrical energy at wind speeds of 7–130 km/h (3.6–66.3 knot) at which the turbines are shut down. Maximum output is achieved at a wind speed of 50 kilometres per hour (26 kn).
Albany wind farm is situated in Albany on the southern coast of Western Australia. The wind farm is about 12 kilometres (7 mi)12km south-west of the city. The positioning in which the generators have been situated is perfect. It is in an elevated position of approximately 80 metres (262 ft) above the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
. This height (makes it accessible to the wind), nearness to the coastline (coastline is where most wind is produced) and small distance to the main electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
transmission system make this an outstanding wind farm site. The turbines produce an average of 75 per cent clean, green electricity for Albany.
The wind farm is owned by the Verve Energy
Verve Energy
Verve Energy is a Western Australian Government owned corporation responsible for operating the state's electricity generators on the State's South West Interconnected System...
. The turbines were made in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and then shipped into Australia. The wind farm opened in October 2001 and had taken ten years planning before the site was built.
External links
- Verve EnergyVerve EnergyVerve Energy is a Western Australian Government owned corporation responsible for operating the state's electricity generators on the State's South West Interconnected System...
page on Albany Wind Farm