Offshore wind farm opposed by Donald Trump reaches completion

The world’s most powerful wind turbines have been constructed off the east coast of Scotland.

The project, consisting of 11 turbines, of which two are rated at 8.8 megawatts, started work a mere nine weeks ago. Vattenfall, the energy company developing the project, believes it is the fastest installation of these huge 190 metre turbines.

US President Donald Trump had been a longstanding and vocal opponent of the wind farm. He fought to have the project scuppered in UK courts, citing the damage it could do to views from his nearby golf course.

The wind farm is located 1.5 miles off the Aberdeenshire coast and fully visible from President Trump’s Balmedie golf complex.

Adam Ezzamel, the wind farm’s project director said the erection of the final turbine “is a significant milestone”

“This is a magnificent offshore engineering feat for a project that involves industry-first technology and innovative approaches to the design and construction. Throughout construction, the project team and our contractors have encountered, tackled and resolved a number of challenges.”

It’s expected that first power from the 93.2 megawatt project, co-financed by the European Union, will reach first power later in the summer. At full capacity the wind farm will be able to produce the equivalent of over 70 percent of Aberdeen’s domestic electricity demand. It will also displace 134,128 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

MHI Vestas’ Chief Operations Officer, Flemming Ougaard, said: “We’re excited to see that the last turbine has been safely installed at Aberdeen Bay with our partner, Vattenfall. With clean power set to soon flow to the national grid from all 11 turbines, we very much look forward to operations and service at the new offshore wind park.”

                          Time-lapse footage of the project being built in Aberdeen Bay