The Thorntonbank Wind Farm (also known as C-Power) is an offshore wind farm. It is the first offshore wind farm in Belgium.
Electricity production started in early 2009, with a capacity of 30 MW. The capacity was increased to a total of 214 MW in 2012 and 325 MW in 2013.
Phases
First phase The first phase was built by C-Power, at a cost of €153 million.Thorntonbank (Belgium) offshore wind farm 4C . Retrieved: 27 October 2010. It was commissioned in June 2009.REpower turbines to Thornton Bank offshore wind farm expansion Renewable Energy Focus, 26 November 2010. Accessed: 13 October 2011.Thornton Bank Offshore Project Officially Commissioned Renewable Energy World, 2 July 2009. Accessed: 13 October 2011.
The first phase of what will ultimately be a 325 MW wind farm was completed in September 2008. The six REpower 5 MW turbines, which were installed on concrete gravity foundations, were linked to the Belgian power grid, giving a total rated capacity of 30 MW for the first stage. The full story of the design, engineering, construction and installation of the Thorntonbank Wind Farm (first phase) is told in an illustrated book that was published in November 2010.Jan Strubbe, "Reuzen in de Wind - Het windmolenpark op de Thorntonbank", Tielt (Belgium), 2009, C-Power phase I
Second and third phase In these phases, a total of 48 additional wind turbines of 6.15MWp were installed.
Phase 2, completed in October 2012, comprises the installation of 30 of the 48 wind turbines. These wind turbines have been installed on steel jacket foundations designed by OWEC Tower AS and assembled at the Smulders shipyard in Hoboken, Antwerp.
In the third and last phase, completed in September 2013, the remaining 18 wind turbines were installed, bringing the total capacity to around 325 MW.Phase 2 complete
Environmental assessment Research was by the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBOINBO) and the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO ILVO)
Financing Thorntonbank was only the second offshore wind farm to be project financed.
Gallery
See also
Belwind Offshore Wind Farm Wind power in Belgium Energy in Belgium List of offshore wind farms List of wind farms
References
External links
Thornton Bank, RWE Innogy
LORC Knowledge - Datasheet for Thornton Bank 1