As wind energy continues to be deployed throughout the United Kingdom, GE announced it is providing two new wind farms in central England with more than 40MW of installed capacity. GE has supplied the Chelveston Wind Farm with nine GE 2.85MW wind turbines and will also deliver nine GE 1.6MW wind turbines to the Burton Wold wind farm extension in Kettering.
As a member of the European Union, the U.K. is required to meet the EU 20/20 target of having 20 percent renewable energy generation by the year 2020. The Chelveston Wind Farm and the Burton Wold wind farm extension are located within 15 miles of each other. Combined the 40-plus MW would be equivalent to the required energy needs of approximately 30,000 homes in the region. To date, GE has supplied or is under contract to supply more than 163.10MW of wind turbines to the U.K.
The Chelveston Wind Farm will provide 25.65MW of power to the grid. GE has already supplied the nine 2.85MW turbines to Wykes Engineering Ltd., one of the leading design, engineering and manufacturing companies. The wind farm was commissioned in September 2013 and entered full operation in October 2013. The Chelveston Wind Farm is part of the Chelveston Renewable Energy Park, which was formerly a Ministry of Defense bomber base throughout World War II and the Cold War and later a radio-mast transmitter site until 2005. The renewable energy park also consists of biomass plants, biofuel generators and solar photovoltaic arrays, which are currently being installed.
According to Wykes Engineering, GE’s efficient wind turbines were selected for the Chelveston site based on increased efficiency. In total, the Chelveston facility will have the ability to generate an estimated 109,000MWh of renewable electricity annually—enough energy to supply for 27,500 households.
The Burton Wold wind farm extension will provide 14.4MW of power—equivalent to the required energy needs of more than 11,000 homes in the region. John Laing is the owner of the project, and the plans were developed by First Renewable Ltd. John Laing will build, own and operate the wind farm.
“GE’s 1.6-100 wind turbines are the right machines for the Burton Wold wind farm extension due to their ability to enhance energy efficiency. This latest project is an exciting addition to the John Laing portfolio of investments in the onshore wind sector and is part of our commitment to deliver cleaner, renewable electricity to communities across the United Kingdom,” said Ross McArthur, managing director of renewable energy-John Laing.
GE also will support the Chelveston Wind Farm and the Burton Wold wind farm extension’s long-term availability through service and maintenance agreements, which include remote monitoring and local support. GE’s wind service solutions increase turbine reliability and availability, reducing down turbine time and improving lifetime performance.
For more information, visit www.ge-energy.com.
