An enormous new flatus farm planned for the Icelandic seashore would mark an astonishing step forward for offshore wind if it gets built . We ’re likely to find out its chance fairly shortly , because as well as the stupefying ordered series and challenging location , the society behind it is also working to an unco short timeline .
seaward confidential information has explode in recent yr , expanding12 - fold since 2010 . In the process , the monetary value of the energy produced this way has fallen atphenomenal rate . Offshore steer is still usually more expensive per social unit of energy produced than wind farms on land , but is take hold of up tight . Moreover , electricity company will often yield a agio for the greater reliability , and the fact that offshore and onshore jazz are sometimes complimentary , produce the most office at different multiplication .
Nevertheless , the Brobdingnagian majority of offshore wind turbines presently set up are in just two places ; the North Sea and off the Taiwanese sea-coast . Operations are just beginning off theAmerican east coastwhich , like existing sites , pop the question shallow waters cheeseparing to the position the electricity will be exhaust .
The proposal byHecate Independent Power(HIP ) is quite different . They want to build a 10 - gigawatt wind farm as a lot of semi - self-governing “ pods ” off Iceland , but send the power produce to Britain . The largest operating seaward windfarm in the world is1.2 GW , and the previous prominent proposal8.2 GW .
Iceland , richly supplied withgeothermaland hydroelectric king ( and bantam amounts of the world ’s mostimprobably sit solar ) has no need to absorb energy from the flatus , although they may appreciate the jobs HIP is predict .
The UK , and the European power grid it is connected to , is a different affair . make and maintaining jazz farm in such inhospitable weather will summate to the cost , as will the High Voltage Direct Current undersea cables needed to bring the electricity produced Confederacy . However , HIP is reckon on the fact Iceland and the North Sea are in different wind regime , so they will have power to offer at the time when it ’s needed most .
HIP Chair and former UK energy pastor Sir Tony Baldry said in astatement ; “ We will dilute the zone of British - operated wind generation alfresco of our traditional territorial waters , push the boundaries of be cable technology to generate over 1,000 klick from our grid landfall points throughout England . "
HIP predicts a capacity factor of 65 percent , chew over the strength and consistency ofwinds over the open ocean , and advances in turbine size .
Unsurprisingly , such an immense project will not be build all at once , but HIPclaimsthey will deliver the first 2 GW of capability by early 2025 . That would be an wanton goal for solar , which can be built exceptionally apace , or even seaward wind . However , offshore jazz projects have been slow to hail to fruition so far . pelvic girdle has applied for permit for 4 GW of grid connections , but these have yet to be granted . No information has been let go as to how much of the estimated £ 21 billion ( US $ 30 billion ) price has been raised so far .
The projection is to be a mixture of pay off and floating confidential information turbine , with the initial phase determine . swim turbine technology can theoretically allow for turbines to be placed in deeper water with cables attaching turbine to the seafloor , but is still very much in its babyhood .
