BP Completes Repowering Wind Farm of 300 MW Capacity

BP Completes Repowering Wind Farm of 300 MW Capacity

BP has completed repowering its wind farm in Indiana for 300 MW capacity. The Fowler Ridge 1 project, established in central Indiana, entailed the upgradation of 40 of the 162 turbines. This encompassed the installation of 120 individual blades and 40 new nacelles. These boast power generation equipment and transformers on top of the wind towers.

The new equipment from Vestas promises up to 40% additional energy and are said to produce an average of 314,000kwh renewable energy annually. This can power up nearly 27,000 homes.

The new technology that has been employed offers energy more efficiently at wind speeds that are lower, which in turn, creates more electricity from available wind resource.

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Orlando Alvarez, Chairman and President of BP America, stated, “This project is a substantial upgrade for the wind farm and another investment in BP’s low-carbon energy future.”

The project saw an investment worth $100m from BP. As per the firm, the project helps meet the its expected returns for renewables. The firm has set sights on recycling the decommissioned blades, keeping up to 3.3 million pounds of that can end up in landfills.

Interestingly, the decommissioned blades will be shredded and blended with raw materials in order to manufacture cement products.

Repowering wind farms 

Repowering of wind farms are now used across the world to boost the wind energy in the region. It aids in creating an alternative way to boost the wind production from the same plants with improved efficiency with minor manipulations. This may include increasing wind turbine size and capacity among others. There are three ways to retain a wind farm when it approaches the end of its design life. The life of these wind farms could be extended by way of maintenance, decommissioning or repowering. Under repowering, the old turbines are replaced, either partly or totally, with models that are more powerful and efficient and use the latest technology.

Repowering of old wind turbines is said to usher in greater levels of investments.