In Europe, 89 kilometers off the east coast of the United Kingdom, 165 giant wind turbines will be operating in the middle of the world’s largest “wind” high seas by the end of December last year.
A Hornsey 2, windmill Beyond the shore, 1.32 gigawatts (GW) goes into the process of generating clean energy, which will be distributed over a 373 km cabling structure between the submarine substation and the distribution phase in Gillingham, England.
Under construction from 2018, the ambitious project surpassed its big sister, the Hornsey 1, which generated about 1.22 gigawatts. Currently, the two maritime “wind farms” together provide an estimated 2.3 million homes in the region.
What is a windmill?
By definition, a windmill is a park of facilities that generate energy through the use of local wind power to move the blades of wind turbines.
These structures can be installed on solid ground (On shore) Or in the high seas (Beyond the shore) To generate power, turbines need a minimum height of 50 m and an average wind speed of 7 to 8 m / s.
According to the Latin American Association for Renewable Energy Production (ALAGER), the source was first used commercially in the 1970s. In the aftermath of the international oil crisis, the United States and some European countries became less interested in reducing their dependence on oil and coal and investing in alternative sources of electricity.
Part of the reason why windmills are not so common in the world is related to the operating conditions of the structures. According to the World Meteorological Organization, only 13% of the earth’s surface air provides these conditions. This ratio varies widely between regions and continents, reaching 32% of the total in Western Europe – which explains the UK’s use of this energy source.
Clean power
Hornsey 2 Offshore Offshore Wind Power Station in the UK
Image: Reproduction / Ørsted
The world’s largest wind farm is owned by the Danish multinational company Ørsted, which is another step in the UK’s energy transformation: by 2035, the region will have completely eliminated its energy sources from clean sources. The target is another milestone in the biggest goal: by 2050, the government wants to completely reduce its carbon emissions.
The goal, however, is a reflection of the sequence of environmental stresses. Following the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), nations and environmental watchdogs were forced to convert their electricity sources to cleaner sources.
“Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing the world today, and we believe the solution lies in the greater use of renewable energy sources than we have ever seen,” says project leader Duncan Clark. Launched in the UK.
According to the UK Ministry of Energy, 20% of the country’s electricity comes from clean and renewable sources, which has the potential to expand by up to 30%. While part of the change is motivated to avoid the irreversible problems of global warming, another goal is to avoid crises. Energy supply.
In terms of wind, two wind farms, Hornsey 3 and 4, have been approved for construction in 2020. The completion of these two complexes will enable the world to accumulate the largest number of wind turbines. .
Is it in Brazil?
According to the National Electric Energy Agency (ANIL), about 248 megawatts (megawatts) of wind power is generated in Brazil, derived from sixteen projects in operation. However, research suggests that this figure may be more significant for the country.
The Brazilian wind power atlas, mapped by the Electric Energy Research Center (SEPPEL), is estimated to generate 143.5 gigawatts of electricity on the ground. Most of these potential sources are located on the northeast coast, generating 144.29 terawatts per hour (TWh / a) per year. The southeastern (54.93 TWh / year) and southern (41.11 TWh / year) regions of the country also have significant potential.
For ALAGER, the numbers are deceptive: Brazilian wind power does not include atlas parts Beyond the shore Do Brazil, with its 7,367 km expansion region, has structures to explore for oil and natural gas deposits in the region. According to the company, the project will be easily adapted to marine wind farms.
“This route needs to be further evaluated so that these projects generate a greater amount of electricity by benefiting from the stability of wind regimes at sea,” the company said in a statement.
At the moment, it is at the forefront of wind power generation in northeastern Brazil, with projects ranging from conventional wind turbines to bold ones. One of them is a plant in Rio Grande do Norde, which uses gravity to convert wind resistance into electrical energy when landing concrete blocks.
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