United Kingdom utility SSE plc’s renewable arm has announced that the first of 29 turbines has been successfully installed at its 101 MW yellow River Wind Farm in central Ireland which represent a significant milestone.
Timeline
The farm is on track to be connected to the grid in the first quarter of 2025 and the facility will be equipped with N117/3600 machines procured from Nordex SE, a German manufacturer. This will heavily rely on the ability of having installed all turbines by the end of summer 2023. The turbine blades will span to a maximum height of up to 166 metres (544 feet).
location
The project in question was bought by SSE Renewables in December 2019 and is located in Rhode, County Offaly.
Installation works are expected to continue and be completed by this summer as delivery of the turbines continues until April. This follows its initiation in November 2023 with the first convoy of the turbines being delivered to the midlands site from the port of Galaway. Deliveries are strictly taking place between midnight and 4 am to ensure minimum disruption to local residents.
Once operational, Yellow River will produce sufficient  renewable energy to satisfy the electricity demands of 66,000 homes annually and offsetting approximately 65,000 metric tonnes of carbon per annum hence contributing significantly to Ireland’s 2023 renewable energy targets.
The Yellow River project was awarded a contract for the entire capacity under the Irish Government’s latest RESS 3 auction rounds for new onshore wind farms. This contract is due to commence shortly after commissioning of the project.
Project Impact
When complete the project is expected to offer and support about 80 full time construction jobs at the peak of delivery.
SSE Renewable’s Onshore Renewables Development and Construction Director, Heather Donald highlighted that it is a pivotal moment in the project as the teams continue to move forward with a tight schedule to safely install and deliver the turbines to the site. He added that celebrating another milestone at Yellow River so soon after taking delivery of the first turbine components indicates the hard work input by each team member involved in the installation programme.
Cost
SSE renewables spends about €4.5 million a day on developing and setting up new clean power assets such as Yello River Wind Farm. On completion Yellow River will have the capability to produce in excess of 100 MW of wind powered electricity hence playing a vital role in Ireland’s 2030 renewable energy targets. This is a testament to the company’s continued commitment to delivering greener homegrown energy in Ireland which is needed now and in the future.
The project manager for Nordex, James Lappin re-echoed that they are proud to have partnered with SSE Renewables on this 101 MW project and applauded the local community for their unending support and patience during the delivery and installation phase. He added that both teams are working tirelessly to deliver a safe and timely project while minimizing any potential disruptions as they expect a smooth conclusion to this stage of the project later on this year.
Key project players
About Nordex
The development, manufacture, project management and servicing of wind turbines in the onshore segment has been the core competence and passion of the Nordex Group and its more than 7,900 employees worldwide since 1985. As one of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers, the Nordex Group offers high-yield, cost-efficient wind turbines under the Acciona Windpower and Nordex brands that enable long-term and economical power generation from wind energy in all geographical and climatic conditions.
About SSE Renewables
SSE Renewables is a leading developer and operator of renewable energy across the UK and Ireland. With a portfolio of around 4GW of onshore wind, offshore wind and hydro, their strategy is to drive the transition to a net zero world through the world class development, construction and operation of renewable energy assets.
They own nearly 2GW of operational onshore wind capacity with over 1GW under development. Their 1,459MW hydro portfolio includes 300MW of pumped storage and 750MW of flexible hydro. Their operational offshore wind portfolio consists of 579MW across three offshore sites in UK waters, two of which are operated on behalf of their joint venture partners.
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