'Turbine City is a project that was initiated in 2003 to create the first floating city based on an offshore wind farm. The city, located 2 miles north from Hanstholm, Denmar,, utilizes offshore wind turbines as a means of creating potential for tourism with the integration of a hotel, casino, spa and museum built in a turbine within an offshore wind farm. Just 4MW would be enough to power the entire facility. The comcept city brings tourists, sailors and cruiseships to the area, where people are able to experience first hand the advantages and the spectacle of turbines, increasing awareness and support of this endeavour.
Offshore wind farms are common in recent years but what makes Turbine City different is the idea of using the farm for touristic or commercial puroposes other than the production of electricity.
Turbine city is owned by Statkraft(30%), Vattenfall(24%), Natech(15%), Iberdrola(11%) and other minor shareholders.
Floating wind turbine technology[]
A floating wind turbine is an offshore wind turbine mounted on a floating structure that allows the turbine to generate electricity in water depths where bottom-mounted towers are not feasible. The wind can be stronger and steadier over water due to the absence of topographic features that may disrupt wind flow. The electricity generated is sent to shore through undersea cables. The initial capital cost of floating turbines is competitive with bottom-mounted, near-shore wind turbines while the rate of energy generation is higher out in the sea as the wind flow is often more steady and unobstructed by terrain features. The relocation of wind farms into the sea can reduce visual polution if the windmills are sited more than 12 miles (19 km) offshore, provide better accommodation of fishing and shipping lanes, and allow siting near heavily developed coastal cities.
Floating wind parks are wind farms that site several floating wind turbines closely together to take advantage of common infrastructure such as power transmission facilities.
Turbine city today[]
Today Tubine City has:
- 49 Wind turbines of 11MW each
- Hotel with 125 rooms, 4 conference halls, 3 restaurants (included a submarine one), spa,...
- Accomodations for crew
- Security office
- Hydrogen refuel facilities for ships
- Research labs
- Medican center
- 2 Heliports
- Port facilities for ships
Future[]
After the succes of Turbine City, there are plans to build Turbine City 2 in 2013. The consortium of companies (Aker Solutions, Vestas and NAtech Engineering) that built Turbine City is working in other international similar projects.
