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Iberdrola starts commissioning 50 MW Askio III wind farm

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Energy Global,


Iberdrola has begun commissioning of the Askio III wind farm, located in the town of Galatini, in the region of Western Macedonia, Greece. With an installed capacity of 50 MW, it will be capable of supplying enough clean, affordable, and locally produced energy to meet the annual needs of more than 54 000 homes.

In just over six months, the company has completed the installation of the 12 wind turbines that make up the wind farm, with 70 m long blades and a rotor diameter of 150 m, as well as all the work necessary to connect them to the grid. In total, approximately 30 km of cable have been laid, between the three internal medium-voltage circuits and the evacuation line. In addition, the Lygeri substation near the town of Kozani has been extended.

Although the plant is located in a mountainous area at an altitude of 1500 m above sea level and on rocky terrain, the simultaneous execution of civil works, transport, and wind turbine assembly, which began in April, has enabled construction to be completed in such a short period of time. In addition, in order to speed up the commissioning process, all the turbines were tested with the help of generators before being connected to the grid. Thus, Iberdrola has managed to complete the project before the arrival of winter, which would have delayed the evacuation of the facility’s renewable production to the Greek electricity system for months, due to the heavy accumulation of snow that is common in these mountains.

During its construction, the project has generated an average of 75 jobs, with peaks of up to 150 jobs, mostly local.

Technology to care for the environment

In order to minimise the environmental impact, Blade Lifter technology has been used. This method is based on a 10-axle trailer that incorporates an articulated platform to rotate and vertically tilt the blades during transport, making it possible to move it along existing roads and tracks. In this way, it reduces the need to build additional access while reducing environmental impact.

In addition, the turbines are assembled in two stages, which reduces the surface area of each wind turbine platform. By using its own smaller transport crane to assemble the first section of the tower, the need for space for stockpiling the wind turbines is minimised.

This installation will share the grid connection point with the Askio II wind farm, currently under construction, which will reduce its environmental impact and facilitate the commissioning process once the plant is completed.

More than 365 MW clean capacity in operation

The Iberdrola group now has 365 MW clean capacity installed in Greece. In addition to the 38 MW Askio II wind farm, which has already started to receive blades at the site, the company is developing the 18 MW Rokani project near Athens, which is currently under construction.

Iberdrola has just announced a global investment of €17 billion in renewable energy by 2025, 24% of which will be earmarked for EU countries, excluding Spain. Of the total, more than €4.2 billion will be allocated to onshore wind projects. The group expects to increase its installed renewable capacity by 12 100 MW in the coming years – 3100 MW of onshore wind – reaching 52 000 MW in 2025.

 

 

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

Energy Global's Autumn 2022 issue

The Autumn 2022 issue of Energy Global hosts an array of technical articles focusing on wave & tidal, waste-to-energy, energy storage, solar technology, and more. This issue also features a regional report outlining how green hydrogen is playing a key role in the renewable transition across Europe .

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/29112022/iberdrola-starts-commissioning-50-mw-askio-iii-wind-farm/

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