Giant wind turbine hauled to North Sea
Wind turbine heads for North Sea
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Monday, 21, Aug 2006 08:42
One of the world's biggest offshore wind turbines is set to leave a former Highlands oil yard.
It is to be floated from Nigg, Invergordon, to the Beatrice Field in the Moray Firth.
The huge turbine, which is one of two, is being taken to the field by barge.
Coupled with equipment, the turbine weighs about 1,000 tonnes and stands 120 metres tall by 100 metres wide with the blades attached. Once erected, the blades will be 63 metres long.
Oil firm Talisman and Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) are leading a consortium to test the deepwater turbines in a £35 million, five-year pilot scheme.
If proven successful, a 200-turbine wind farm will be built 12 miles offshore.
The scheme's backers say the hub could generate one gigawatt of electricity, sufficient energy to power a city the size of Aberdeen or match about a fifth of Scotland's energy needs.
The second turbine is due to be assembled and completed this week.