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PORTS & OFFSHORE WIND storage capacity and ensure the right ones going out in the It’s a site that never sleeps. During my visit, blades for EDF right sets when needed – all of which means taking them back Renewables UK’s Neart na Gaoithe wind farm off Fife, Scot- nearly 4km to the main site. land, were being loaded out. They’ll be taken to Dundee and “It’s feast and famine,” says Shaw, re? ecting how projects stored again before they’re taken offshore for installation. Six build up, the blades lined up across the site, before they’re all can be carried in the hold and another six on deck – enough for shipping and it’s empty again. “We need large open space with four turbines. But loading has to be in decent weather. good ground bringing capacity.”

A global footprint

Blade stacking It’s a growing market. As well as expanding its production

The team is working with port owner ABP to get more space. facilities in Hull, Siemens Gamesa is increasing production

But if that’s not possible, stacking operations could have to be elsewhere. It’s planning its ? rst offshore wind turbine blade fa- looked at. It’s not an ideal, however, even over transporting cility in the US, following signing a long-term lease with the the blades through the site. “That’s cranes, people, introduc- Virginia Port Authority for a site at Portsmouth Marine Termi- ing risk, and cost,” says Shaw. “We could look at shipping nal, Virginia. It’s expected this will support Dominion Energy’s them somewhere else, but that also adds cost.” 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project.

Shaw says they’re also looking at digital blade tracking Back in Europe, Siemens Gamesa recently brought the capability, so it’s possible to see where are, where they’ve world’s ? rst combined offshore nacelle and blade facility into moved, how often they’re moved, all in a visual graphic. production at Le Harve. Its other main blade manufacturing “With more data, we can identify more ef? ciencies, so we’re facility is at Aalborg, Denmark, while nacelles are also built investing in setting that up,” he says. at Cuxhaven, Germany.

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