#44 Offshore Wind, Part 1: Becoming a World Leader

Over the past two decades the UK has become the world’s leading offshore wind energy producer. Not only is it responsible for 40% of all offshore wind generated electricity, it is set to quadruple the installed capacity by 2030. Its journey to becoming a world leader began in 2000 with construction of just two Vestas V66 turbines, at a site off the coast of Blyth in Northumbria. In the first of a two part episode we go back to those turbines and to a time where a crane driver called Bobby Hazel was called in to lift in these towers into position – something that no operator in the UK had done before. And last year when Fugro began decommissioning these pioneering structures for RWE Renewables, Bobby returned to the North Sea to take them down. GUESTS Bahzad Ayoub, Senior Analyst, Renewable UK Bobby Hazel, Crane Operator, Fugro Tony Hodgson, Regional Strategic Sales Director, Europe and Africa, Fugro Patrick Rainey, Offshore Logistics Manager, RWE Renewables Tony Stevens, Project Manager, Blyth Decommissioning, Fugro PARTNER: This episode is made in partnership with Fugro Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from Geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.The post #44 Offshore Wind, Part 1: Becoming a World Leader first appeared on Engineering Matters.