Ever wonder how wind turbines operate autonomously, with such little human intervention, in the middle of the sea? Rico Shoeni, Market Manager for Industry at HUBER+SUHNER, gives PES an inside look at the latest developments and the type of technology currently in development to power offshore wind farms.
With the ever-increasing effects of global warming, coupled with the environmental and economic costs of fossil fuels, never before has renewable energy been in such demand.
A research report from the World Energy Council has even predicted that the world’s demand for power is set to double by 2050, leading to a global rush to construct as many renewable energy sources as possible. One of the most popular and effective sources of clean, renewable energy is wind power.
Now, when people think of wind turbines, the image that most likely comes to mind is the towering white windmill-esque structures usually set to the backdrop of rolling green fields. The most popular new venture for this technology, however, is in the realm of offshore turbine sites, located primarily on continental shelves across Europe and the World. Already, there are multiple offshore sites across Europe, comprising hundreds of separate turbines producing thousands of MW of power with the UK, Norway and Belgium being home of Europe’s largest offshore wind power producers.
