October 28, 2013
U.K.
U.K.
Storm shuts down offshore wind turbines off England
28 October 2013 by Ben Miller | Windpower Offshore | www.windpoweroffshore.com
28 October 2013 by Ben Miller | Windpower Offshore | www.windpoweroffshore.com
A storm that swept across southern England today shut down offshore wind turbines in the region.
One-hundred-and-seventy-five wind turbines at the world’s biggest offshore wind plant, the 630MW London Array off Kent’s coast, were shut down from 6.30am until 8.30am.
The Siemens 3.6MW turbines are designed to shut down when wind speeds reach 25-metres per second. When the wind speed drops back down the machines re-set themselves and start back up.
A spokesperson for the site said by 10am London Array was fully operational again.
Dong operates a number of wind plants off England, including London Array and Gunfleet Sands 1& 2 (173MW) & 3 (12MW).
A spokesperson for the Danish utility said: “All of our sites took the necessary precautions against the severe weather last night. Some turbines at our sites in the south east automatically shut down due to high winds but have since be re-energised as the wind speeds subside.”
Siemens two 6MW demonstration turbines in Gunfleet Sands 3, off England’s Essex coast, automatically shut down when wind speeds reached 30-metres-a-second.
Wind speeds of more than 150 kilometres an hour have been recorded on the Isle of Wight.