Energy from wind
in icy conditions

Energy from wind in icy conditions

Tahkoluoto: a world-first for offshore wind farming

14 km of 30 kV submarine cable

Located in the Baltic Sea, just off the coast o f Finland, the Tahkoluoto offshore wind farm was inaugurated  in October by Finnish company Suomen Hyötytuuli.

It is the world’s first offshore wind farm designed for icy conditions, and will begin to produce energy in the autumn of 2017.

This pilot project was launched in 2010, with the installation of its first turbine, and has been developed and finalised over the 2015-2017 period, with the installation of an additional 10 turbines.

The final take-over took place ahead of schedule, and since then, Suomen Hyötytuuli and its partners have  significantly increased their knowledge of offshore wind power in the Baltic Sea. They are now able to produce offshore energy on an industrial scale.

Prysmian Group contributed to this important project with the supply of approximately 14 kilometres of 30 kV submarine cable, which has been installed on the seabed.

The cable was manufactured in the Finnish plant of Pikkala, one of the Group’s centres of excellence for high voltage cable production and high voltage direct current (HDVC) technology, allowing large amounts of energy to be transmitted over long distances.

The plant supports major renewable energy development projects, especially in Northern Europe. In fact, Prysmian has recently been awarded two important projects in this region: the  MEG Offshore 1 (Merkur offshore wind farm) in Germany, and the Danish Horns Rev 3 in the North Sea.

JOINING TESLA’S RENEWABLES CHALLENGE

Prysmian is supporting Tesla in the building of the world’s largest battery storage plant in South Australia, aiming to solve the state’s challenges regarding renewable energy supply.

Tesla has joined forces with French company Neoen and the SA State Government to build a 100 MW lithium-ion battery storage plant that will support the state’s commitment to renewables. And Prysmian has been invited along for the ride.

The battery plant will sit alongside Neoen’s 99-turbine-powered Hornsdale Wind Farm, and connect to SA’s AC transmission grid.

This will serve a dual purpose: storing unconsumed renewable energy, and releasing energy back into the grid during times of peak demand. In other words, the battery system will increase reliability of the state’s energy supply, providing short-term relief during times of crisis, while putting downward pressure on rising energy prices.

Prysmian Australia contributed to this important Tesla-Neoen project by supplying Hornsdale Wind Farm with world-leading quality cabling. This was delivered through Consolidated Power Projects (CPP) – the Electrical Balance of Plant (BoP) contractor in charge of installing, testing and commissioning the 33 kV reticulation system.