North Hoyle
Encyclopedia
North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm is Wales
' first offshore wind farm
, and the UK's first major offshore renewable power project. Situated in Liverpool Bay
, it commenced operation in 2003.
The first of the UK's Round 1 offshore wind farms, North Hoyle covers an area of 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi), and is located approximately 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) off the coast of North Wales
, between the towns of Rhyl
and Prestatyn
. The Round 1 projects were intended to act as testbeds; building the UK's understanding of offshore wind, whilst in total also providing well over 1,000 MW of green generating capacity for the UK. All of the Round 1 offshore wind farms were limited to a maximum area of 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi), and no more than 30 wind turbines.
The wind farm's 30 Vestas V80 Offshore wind turbine
s are each rated at 2 MW capacity, giving a maximum project output of 60 MW. At the time of installation this was the most powerful wind farm in the UK, producing sufficient electricity annually to power 50,000 homes.
Between 2004 and 2010, the capacity factor
was between 33 to 36%.
Independent surveys carried out for the operators of North Hoyle have shown that the wind farm is very popular among local residents. An opinion poll carried out in 2003, after one year of operation, showed that 73% of people expressed support for the project and only 5% opposed it.
North Hoyle was developed, built and is operated by RWE npower renewables
(formerly National Wind Power); npower renewables also own the neighbouring Rhyl Flats
and Gwynt y Môr
offshore wind farms.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
' first offshore wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
, and the UK's first major offshore renewable power project. Situated in Liverpool Bay
Liverpool Bay
Liverpool Bay is a bay of the Irish Sea between northeast Wales, Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside to the east of the Irish Sea. The bay is a classic example of a region of freshwater influence...
, it commenced operation in 2003.
The first of the UK's Round 1 offshore wind farms, North Hoyle covers an area of 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi), and is located approximately 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) off the coast of North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, between the towns of Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
and Prestatyn
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
. The Round 1 projects were intended to act as testbeds; building the UK's understanding of offshore wind, whilst in total also providing well over 1,000 MW of green generating capacity for the UK. All of the Round 1 offshore wind farms were limited to a maximum area of 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi), and no more than 30 wind turbines.
The wind farm's 30 Vestas V80 Offshore wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s are each rated at 2 MW capacity, giving a maximum project output of 60 MW. At the time of installation this was the most powerful wind farm in the UK, producing sufficient electricity annually to power 50,000 homes.
Between 2004 and 2010, the capacity factor
Capacity factor
The net capacity factor or load factor of a power plant is the ratio of the actual output of a power plant over a period of time and its potential output if it had operated at full nameplate capacity the entire time...
was between 33 to 36%.
Independent surveys carried out for the operators of North Hoyle have shown that the wind farm is very popular among local residents. An opinion poll carried out in 2003, after one year of operation, showed that 73% of people expressed support for the project and only 5% opposed it.
North Hoyle was developed, built and is operated by RWE npower renewables
Npower (UK)
RWE Npower plc is a UK-based electricity and gas supply generation company, formerly known as Innogy plc. As Innogy plc it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
(formerly National Wind Power); npower renewables also own the neighbouring Rhyl Flats
Rhyl Flats
Rhyl Flats Offshore Wind Farm is a 25 turbine wind farm approximately 8 km north east of Llandudno in North Wales. It is Wales' second offshore wind farm and the third offshore wind farm to be built within Liverpool Bay...
and Gwynt y Môr
Gwynt y Môr
Gwynt y Môr is a proposed 576 MW offshore wind farm located off the coast of North Wales. Planning consent for the project was granted on the 3rd of December 2008, and construction is expected to begin in 2011 with final commissioning in 2014....
offshore wind farms.
See also
- Wind PowerWind powerWind 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....
- List of offshore wind farms
- List of offshore wind farms in the United Kingdom
- List of offshore wind farms in the Irish Sea
- Wind power in the United KingdomWind power in the United KingdomBy mid-2011, the installed capacity of wind power in the United Kingdom was over 5.7 gigawatts and the UK is ranked as the world’s eighth largest producer of wind power. Wind power is expected to continue growing in the UK for the foreseeable future, RenewableUK estimates that more than...