Swindon & Wiltshire News
New terminal for assembly of wind turbines to be constructed at Avonmouth Docks
A new terminal for the assembly and launch of off-shore wind turbines is to be constructed at Avonmouth Docks.
Bristol Port Authority says Bristol Wind Terminal will include a new quay and a slipway for launching the massive turbines, which can reach up to 260 metres tall with a blade span of 150 metres – around one-and-a-half times the length of a football pitch.
The facility will be capable of handling the assembly or construction of floating sub-structures, the integration of turbine components, and the deployment of completed units to deep-water sites in the Celtic Sea off the coasts of South Wales and South West England.
The terminal will be constructed on the foreshore and will incorporate new and existing dock infrastructure, says Bristol Port Authority.
The Crown Estate’s Celtic Sea Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 – for which energy firms worldwide are being invited to tender – is billed as the next chapter of the UK’s green growth revolution.
Floating wind farms – which dwarf their land-based counterparts in size and energy generation – are expected to play an increasingly significant role in the global energy mix, with the ability to be anchored in deeper waters than familiar fixed-base turbines.
The Crown Estate says the Celtic Sea floating wind farms could create more than 5,000 new jobs and deliver a £1.4 billion boost to the economy, as well as generating 4.5 GW of renewable energy – enough to power more than four million homes.
Construction of the terminal is due to start in 2027 with operations due to commence in 2030.
Latest: Offshore wind farm promises new jobs and economic boost
