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Lynn and Inner Dowsing Wind Farms

Coordinates: 53°07′39″N 00°26′10″E / 53.12750°N 0.43611°E / 53.12750; 0.43611
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms
Lynn wind farm with Lincs wind farm under construction to rear (2011)
Map
CountryEngland, United Kingdom
LocationThe Wash/North Sea
Coordinates53°07′39″N 00°26′10″E / 53.12750°N 0.43611°E / 53.12750; 0.43611
StatusOperational
Commission dateMarch 2009
Wind farm
Typeoffshore
Distance from shore5.2 km (3.2 mi)
Power generation
Units operational54
Make and modelSiemens Wind Power 3.6MW
Nameplate capacity194 MW
Capacity factor31-36% (2009-2012)
External links
Websitewww.glidwindfarms.com
CommonsRelated media on Commons
Map
Wind farm layout

The Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms are a pair of round 1 wind farms located in the North Sea, in the shallow waters at the entrance to The Wash off the coast of Lincolnshire, England. The wind farms were developed as a single unit after planning consent was given in 2003. Construction work began in 2006 and was completed in 2009.

The farm has a maximum output of 194MW from 54 Siemens Wind Power 3.6-107 turbines with a generating capacity of 194 MW. The capacity factor of the farm has been 31 to 36%.

History

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Planning and construction

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The Lynn wind farm and the Inner Dowsing wind farm were initially developed as separate projects by AMEC and Renewable Energy Systems. The projects received planning consent in 2003.[1] At the planning stage the development was opposed by fishermen.[2]

In 2003 Centrica Renewable Energy acquired the Lynn and the Dowsing wind farm projects and merged them into a single development.[3][unreliable source?] Tendering for construction of the wind farm took place from 2005, with contracts awarded between 2006 and 2007.[1]

TIV Resolution installing wind turbines (June 2007)

In 2006 Nexans was awarded a contract to supply inter-array and export cabling for the windfarm, consisting of 32 and 40 kilometres (20 and 25 mi) of 36kV three core cables.[4] MT Hojgaard was contracted to install the offshore foundations.[5] Siemens Wind obtained the contract to supply 54 of its SWT-3.7-107 wind turbines for the farm,[6] and Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution supplied the onshore 33 to 132kV substation and associated switchgear, and was contracted to lay the onshore cables.[7]

Onshore civil engineering work began in late 2006 - a substation was constructed near Skegness.,[8][9] onshore construction including cable laying, was complete by 2007.[10] Installation of the offshore foundations was undertaken using the vessel MV Resolution - foundations were installed by 2007,[note 1] and cables and turbines were installed by 2008, with the last turbine installed July 2008. Commissioning work was complete in March 2009.[8]

Finance and ownership

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The project cost was an estimated €349 million.[11]

In 2009 TCW acquired a 50% stake in the farm (and the 26MW onshore Glens of Foudland wind farm) from Centrica for £84 million ($137.5 million).[12]

In early 2016 Centrica and EIG Global Energy Partners agreed to sell the wind farm to a consortium (Green Investment Bank 51% and BlackRock 49%). The sale including the 26MW onshore Glens of Foudland wind farm was valued at c. £423 million.[13][14]

Operations and maintenance

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During 2010 Siemens changed bearing on the Burbo Bank wind farm due to corrosion problems, and examined bearings at Lynn and Inner Dowsing; subsequently the company decided to replace bearings on all 53 machines in 2011.[15][16]

In 2012 Centrica established a maintenance base for the wind farm at No.3 Fish Dock at the Port of Grimsby.[17]

In the first four years of full operation (2009–12) the farm had a capacity factor of between 31 and 36%.[18] Levelised costs have been estimated at £102/MWh for Lynn and £97 for Inner Dowsing.[19] In c.2012-3 an additional 20MW of turbines were built within the wind farm, as part of the Lincs Wind Farm development - they were connected to the Lincs' export grid.[20]

In 2014 Cofely Fabricom GDF Suez was awarded the contract to carry out grouting repairs and structural modifications on the turbine foundations.[21][note 2]

By 2014 some of the initial 'under warranty' service plans were coming to an end.[23] In early 2015 ABB was awarded a maintenance contract for the electrical generators and other electrical equipment on the wind farm.[24] Cofely Fabricom GDF Suez was awarded a general repair contract for the farm including major repairs in March 2015.[25]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Foundations were installed by either pile driving or drilling a pile driving. Water depths were 8.5 to 16 metres (28 to 52 ft)[5] 6.3 to 11.2 metres (21 to 37 ft) according to LORC
  2. ^ Grouted joints installed c.2007-8 by MT Hojgaard between monopile and transition pieces had been found to be of a substandard design at the Robin Rigg wind farm.[22]

References

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  1. ^ a b Project background 2012, p. 1.
  2. ^ Barkham, Patrick (8 January 2009), "Blown away", The Guardian
  3. ^ "Lynn and Inner Dowsing Offshore Wind Farms, United Kingdom", www.power-technology.com, retrieved 17 February 2016
  4. ^ "Nexans to supply cables for Centrica's Lynn and Inner Dowsing offshore wind farms", www.nexans.com (press release), 31 May 2006
  5. ^ a b "Lynn & Inner Dowsing Offshore Wind Farms", mth.com, archived from the original on 20 December 2016, retrieved 17 February 2016
  6. ^ Offshore wind power projects (PDF), Siemens, 2011, p. 4
  7. ^ "Siemens Connects Offshore Wind Parks", tdworld.com, 1 May 2007
  8. ^ a b Project background 2012, p. 2.
  9. ^ S/153/00046/03 -= Planning Permission - Erection of a substation including the provision of capacitor banks, transformers and connection equipment to an overall height of 8.4 metres, [...] (planning application), East Lindsey District Council, 13 January 2003
  10. ^ Project background 2012, p. 3.
  11. ^ LORC, Timeline & Track Records.
  12. ^ "TCW buys stake in Centrica wind farms", www.reuters.com, 28 October 2008
  13. ^ "Centrica and EIG Sell Lynn and Inner Dowsing OWFs", www.offshorewind.biz, 5 February 2016
  14. ^ "GLID Wind Farms acquired by the UK Green Investment Bank Offshore Wind Fund and funds managed by BlackRock", www.greeninvestmentbank.com, 5 February 2016, archived from the original on 7 February 2016, retrieved 17 February 2016
  15. ^ Godske, Bjørn (24 August 2010), "Korrosion tvinger Siemens til skift af vingelejer i havmøller" [Corrosion forces Siemens to replace bearings in Wind Turbines], Ing.dk (in Danish), archived from the original on 27 August 2010, retrieved 17 February 2016
  16. ^ "Siemens to make precautionary repairs to 54 offshore wind turbines", www.modernpowersystems.com, 24 June 2011
  17. ^ See No.3 Fish Dock in Port of Grimsby.
  18. ^ LORC, Production & Performance.
  19. ^ Aldersey-Williams, John; Broadbent, Ian; Strachan, Peter (2019). "Better estimates of LCOE from audited accounts – A new methodology with examples from United Kingdom offshore wind and CCGT". Energy Policy. 128: 25–35. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2018.12.044. hdl:10059/3298. S2CID 158158724.
  20. ^ See Lincs Wind Farm.
  21. ^ "Lynn & Inner Dowsing success", www.fabricomgdfsuez-renewables.co.uk (press release), 28 May 2013, archived from the original on 25 February 2016, retrieved 17 February 2016
  22. ^ "Grout failures bite MT Hojgaard", renews.biz, 17 April 2014
  23. ^ Laister, David (20 August 2014), "End of wind farm 'warranty period' presents opportunities for Grimsby businesses", Grimsby Telegraph
  24. ^ "ABB to Service Lynn and Inner Dowsing Offshore Wind Farm", www.offshorewind.biz, 28 February 2015
  25. ^ Laister, David (23 March 2015), Grimsby business wins Centrica maintenance contract for Lincolnshire's first offshore wind farms

Sources

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  • "GLID", www.glidwindfarms.com (official website)