Swiss electrical equipment supplier ABB has secured an order from MHI Vestas Offshore Wind to supply transformers for the 950MW Moray East offshore wind farm located 22km off the coast of Scotland, in the North Sea.
As part of the order, ABB will supply 100 of its compact WindSTAR transformers and each of the transformers will be installed inside a wind turbine. The transformer will help in increasing the voltage of the electricity produced by the 9.5MW wind turbine.
Such high power and voltage will be critical in efficient generation and transmission of power, which is an important strategy in cost reduction in offshore wind.
As such, Moray East will supply power at £57.5 per MWh, which is less than half the cost of power generated by comparable offshore wind farms that are under construction, according to the company.
The wind farm will generate enough electricity to power a million UK households, while avoiding up to 3.3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions ever year.
WindSTAR power transformers of ABB are designed to fit inside a wind turbine
The WindSTAR power transformers of ABB are have been designed to fit inside a wind turbine and withstand strong vibrations, sudden movements and variable electrical loading, which is typical of wind power. The transformer is claimed to be energy efficient and is made with biodegradable and safer ester insulation fluid.
ABB transformers business line managing director Laurent Favre said: “ABB transformers are a critical factor in offshore wind electricity generation, helping to ensure an economically feasible and sustainable future for the industry.
“Our innovative WindSTAR transformers are specially designed to meet specific application needs under the mechanical and structural constraints of offshore wind farms.”
Last year, ABB secured two more orders for WindSTAR transformers for the offshore wind projects Borssele 3 & 4 windfarms, off the coast of the Netherlands and Windfloat Atlantic in Portugal.
