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The World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm Just Came Online

4 points by kieranmaine 7y ago

perfunctory 7y ago
> UK has the largest offshore wind generating capacity in Europe. The UK has a generating capacity of 8.2 gigawatts, accounting for 44 per cent of all offshore wind capacity in Europe. > It also puts other countries to shame, and there’s perhaps no bigger embarrassment than the U.S., which has just 30 megawatts (or 0.03 gigawatts) of offshore wind capacity.
- Gravityloss 7y ago
  US has a lot of land mass and quite good land wind power areas. AFAIK the ocean shores of the US are quite deep. All contrary to UK or Denmark.
  - fatnoah 7y ago
    Despite not directly stating it, the article does create the impression that wind power is not a thing in the US, however it is indeed a thing and offshore is a growing part of it. From Wikipedia: As of January 2017, the total installed wind power nameplate generating capacity in the United States was 82,183 megawatts (MW).[3] This capacity is exceeded only by China and the European Union.[4] Also from Wikipedia: On August 8, 2016 the Massachusetts governor signed Bill H.4568 which mandates that Massachusetts utilities obtain 1.6 GW of offshore wind power by 2027 Behind the curve? Yes. Ignoring wind? No.
pjc50 7y ago
Surprisingly high "strike price" of 158.75 £/MWh https://www.lowcarboncontracts.uk/cfds/hornsea-phase-1 https://www.lowcarboncontracts.uk/cfds/hornsea-phase-1 , more than Hinckley point C. The prices are falling even as construction proceeds: https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-auction-offshore-wind-cheaper-than-new-gas https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-auction-offshore-win... "The majority of this was offshore wind, at prices of £120/MWh for projects coming online in 2017/18 and £114/MWh for 2018/19. Onshore wind and solar schemes supported in this first auction came in at around £80/MWh. Today’s second CfD auction awarded £176m to 11 schemes totalling 3.3GW, of which three offshore wind projects made up 3.2GW. The 860 megawatt (MW) Triton Knoll windfarm off Lincolnshire is due to come online in 2021/22 at a cost of £74.75/MWh. The following year, the 950MW Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) and 1,360MW Hornsea 2 scheme will come online at a cost of £57.50. The total 3.2GW will cost an average of £64/MWh." This is a lot of wind power. We're already just at the end of a sixteen-day coal-free generation period. I wonder when we'll see the first gas-free day.

4 points by kieranmaine 7y ago

> UK has the largest offshore wind generating capacity in Europe. The UK has a generating capacity of 8.2 gigawatts, accounting for 44 per cent of all offshore wind capacity in Europe. > It also puts other countries to shame, and there’s perhaps no bigger embarrassment than the U.S., which has just 30 megawatts (or 0.03 gigawatts) of offshore wind capacity.

Gravityloss 7y ago
US has a lot of land mass and quite good land wind power areas. AFAIK the ocean shores of the US are quite deep. All contrary to UK or Denmark.
- fatnoah 7y ago
  Despite not directly stating it, the article does create the impression that wind power is not a thing in the US, however it is indeed a thing and offshore is a growing part of it. From Wikipedia: As of January 2017, the total installed wind power nameplate generating capacity in the United States was 82,183 megawatts (MW).[3] This capacity is exceeded only by China and the European Union.[4] Also from Wikipedia: On August 8, 2016 the Massachusetts governor signed Bill H.4568 which mandates that Massachusetts utilities obtain 1.6 GW of offshore wind power by 2027 Behind the curve? Yes. Ignoring wind? No.

pjc50 7y ago

Surprisingly high "strike price" of 158.75 £/MWh https://www.lowcarboncontracts.uk/cfds/hornsea-phase-1 https://www.lowcarboncontracts.uk/cfds/hornsea-phase-1 , more than Hinckley point C. The prices are falling even as construction proceeds: https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-auction-offshore-wind-cheaper-than-new-gas https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-auction-offshore-win... "The majority of this was offshore wind, at prices of £120/MWh for projects coming online in 2017/18 and £114/MWh for 2018/19. Onshore wind and solar schemes supported in this first auction came in at around £80/MWh. Today’s second CfD auction awarded £176m to 11 schemes totalling 3.3GW, of which three offshore wind projects made up 3.2GW. The 860 megawatt (MW) Triton Knoll windfarm off Lincolnshire is due to come online in 2021/22 at a cost of £74.75/MWh. The following year, the 950MW Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) and 1,360MW Hornsea 2 scheme will come online at a cost of £57.50. The total 3.2GW will cost an average of £64/MWh." This is a lot of wind power. We're already just at the end of a sixteen-day coal-free generation period. I wonder when we'll see the first gas-free day.