Projects
BARD Offshore 1
The ‘BARD Offshore 1’ wind farm will be constructed around 100 km off the German coast. A total of 80 ‘BARD 5.0’ WECs, 5 MW each, constitute a 400 MW power plant. Together with experts in HV power transmission, BARD Engineering GmbH has developed its own grid coupling concept.
The WECs generate AC with a voltage of 33,000 V. The WECs are united into ‘clusters’ and interconnected by means of medium voltage cables. A cluster consists of a bundle of up to eight WECs, which are, in turn, connected to the energy platform, the heart of the wind farm. The energy platform collects the re-generatively produced power and transforms it into a higher voltage. This transformation reduces electric losses during power transmission, which is dependent on the current intensity. For example, current intensity doubling would result in electric losses quadrupling. However, voltage doubling results in power output doubling, with the same current, and, thus, in constant level of losses.
The generated electric power is then transmitted to the public grid at a distance of about 180 km. This purpose requires around 100 km of submarine cable and 80 km of onshore cable to be laid. An outstanding challenge is to cross the island of Norderney. An innovative concept has been developed, together with experts from science and technology, to ensure that all pilot offshore wind power projects in the western North Sea can be connected via a very narrow cable trench across the island of Norderney.
BARD Engineering GmbH and certain reputable suppliers carry out extensive research to study WEC behaviour under conditions of the DC solution. To ensure WEC reliable and safe operation, there must be evidence that public grid stability is guaranteed. This has been a success.
To provide secure and steady power plant and energy platform operation at a distance of more than 100 km off the coast, an offshore control centre with full-time personnel is required. Our staff will ensure such an operation 365 days a year, 24 hours a day from the habitation platform. All spare parts required for maintenance and operation are available there. Our staff can be swiftly transported to the WECs from the platform, even in unfavourable weather conditions, and thereby guarantee high availability of our wind farm.
The future of wind energy belongs to offshore wind farms. Initial pilot projects will be connected directly to the public grid. Future solutions will bundle several wind farms together. Offshore wind power plants can be united into local clusters and interconnected by means of AC cables, considering short distances between them. Therefore, onshore cable failure will not result in an offshore wind farm failure, since the connection is redundant. Such power plants will be more efficient for consumers.
Long distances between local WEC clusters will be covered by means of DC cables. Erection of an offshore DC cable network will help to avoid onshore power supply bottlenecks. An offshore DC network across the North Sea makes North European wind potential accessible for the European power grid. On account of such a grid transmission potential, wind resources, still ‘unforeseeable’ today, will be available at great distances.
Offshore wind power generation will become a reality with the help of powerful grids.