USA set for first windfarm

France’s Alstom will provide five offshore wind turbines for the project, making it the world’s first windfarm to feature Alstom’s Haliade 150-6MW turbine – the largest turbine installed in offshore waters today. The five turbines will produce approximately 125,000 MWh of electricity a year, enough to power over 17,000 homes.

The Haliade 150-6 MW wind turbine operates without any gearbox (using direct-drive), thanks to a permanent-magnet generator. The machine features Alstom’s Pure Torque design which is said to protect the generator by diverting unwanted mechanical stress towards the tower, thereby optimising performance and reliability. Its 150m diameter rotor provides an energy yield that Alstom says is 15% better than existing offshore turbines, supporting the effort to drive down the cost of energy from offshore wind.

Workers will be hired to install the foundations for the turbines, lay the submarine cable that will connect the windfarm to the mainland, carry out onshore utility work and plan and oversee the first-of-its-kind project.

It is hoped that the Block Island Windfarm will encourage the construction of many more offshore wind projects off the Atlantic Coast.

Commissioning of the windfarm is expected in late 2016.

By Rachael Doyle