Published

2 years ago

January 12, 2024

Alice Rush

Wind Energy Takes Flight in 2023: A Year of Records and Progress

2023 witnessed a monumental surge in wind energy, solidifying its role as a vital player in the transition to clean energy.

From record-breaking projects to technological leaps and policy tailwinds, the year was a whirlwind of positive developments. Let’s take a closer look at some key highlights:

Giants of the Sea:

Dogger Bank Wind Farm (UK): This behemoth claimed the crown of the world’s largest offshore wind farm, gradually powering up the UK grid in October 2023. At full capacity, its colossal turbines will generate enough electricity to illuminate 6 million homes, a testament to wind’s immense potential.
Hornsea 3 (UK): Hot on Dogger Bank’s heels, Hornsea 3 made significant strides in 2023. Once operational, it will stand as the second-largest offshore wind farm globally, further solidifying the UK’s wind energy prowess.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm UK

Dogger Bank Wind Farm: A Colossus Rising from the Seas

The Dogger Bank Wind Farm, nestled in the heart of the North Sea off the east coast of England, is not just a wind farm – it’s a titan of renewable energy, redefining the landscape of sustainable power generation.

A Crown Jewel of Wind Power:

Dogger Bank holds the prestigious title of the world’s largest offshore wind farm, dwarfing its competitors with its sheer scale. Imagine a colossal expanse of the North Sea dotted with over 300 towering turbines, each blade stretching as long as a football field!
This behemoth is comprised of three mega-phases: Dogger Bank A, B, and C, each boasting a capacity of over 1.2 GW. When fully operational, it will churn out a staggering 3.6 GW of clean electricity, enough to power 6 million homes, a testament to wind’s immense potential.

Technological Prowess:

Dogger Bank isn’t just about size; it’s also a showcase of cutting-edge technology. The wind farm utilizes some of the most powerful turbines ever built, each capable of harvesting the wind’s energy with remarkable efficiency.
Innovative engineering solutions tackle the challenges of the harsh offshore environment, ensuring reliability and durability of these majestic giants.

A Beacon of Hope for the Future:

Dogger Bank is more than just a marvel of engineering; it’s a symbol of hope in the fight against climate change. Its clean energy generation displaces fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and paving the way for a more sustainable future.
The project also creates thousands of jobs, invigorating local economies and fostering a skilled workforce in the renewable energy sector.

A Glimpse into the Future:

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is just the beginning. As wind technology continues to evolve and offshore projects gain momentum, we can expect even larger and more efficient wind farms to rise from the oceans, powering a cleaner and brighter tomorrow.

The Dogger Bank Wind Farm stands as a testament to human ingenuity and our collective desire for a sustainable future. Its towering turbines not only churn electricity, but also churn hope for a world powered by clean, renewable energy.

Hornsea 3 (UK)

Hornsea 3: A Colossal Wind Farm Emerges from the North Sea

While Dogger Bank reigns supreme as the world’s largest offshore wind farm, another titan rises from the North Sea: Hornsea 3. This colossal project promises to be the second-largest in the world, generating clean energy and powering homes across the UK.

Imposing Grandeur:

Envision a vast expanse of the North Sea adorned with over 300 colossal turbines, each stretching over 200 meters in height. That’s the awe-inspiring image of Hornsea 3, with its windswept blades sweeping across the horizon.
Its sheer scale is staggering. Hornsea 3 boasts a capacity of 2.6 GW, enough to power over 1.4 million homes, making it a significant contributor to the UK’s ambitious renewable energy goals.

Technological Prowess:

Like Dogger Bank, Hornsea 3 showcases cutting-edge wind turbine technology. Its turbines are some of the most powerful in the world, harnessing the wind’s energy with remarkable efficiency. This translates to cleaner energy generation and reduced environmental impact.
The project also utilizes innovative solutions to deal with the challenging offshore environment, ensuring the turbines’ stability and resilience against harsh weather conditions.

Economic and Environmental Boon:

Hornsea 3 isn’t just a clean energy powerhouse; it’s also an economic engine. The project has created thousands of jobs, from construction and installation to maintenance and operation, revitalizing local communities and fostering a skilled workforce in the renewable energy sector.
By displacing fossil fuels with clean energy, Hornsea 3 plays a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change. It paves the way for a greener future and demonstrates the UK’s commitment to sustainable development.

A Gateway to a Brighter Future:

Hornsea 3, along with Dogger Bank and other upcoming projects, signifies a paradigm shift in the energy landscape. It’s a testament to human ingenuity and our collective pursuit of a clean and sustainable future. As these colossal wind farms continue to grace the seas, they paint a hopeful picture of a world powered by the wind, one turbine at a time.

Beyond its impressive statistics, the sheer visual impact of Hornsea 3 is breathtaking. Imagine rows of these majestic giants gracefully spinning their blades against the backdrop of the vast North Sea. It’s a sight that inspires awe and reminds us of the immense potential of wind power.

Wind Farm Technology

Pushing the Limits of Technology:

Turbine Titans: The race for bigger and better turbines intensified in 2023. Siemens Gamesa unveiled a monstrous 16 MW offshore turbine, while Vestas boasted an 18 MW model. These giants can harness the wind’s power with unprecedented efficiency, marking a significant leap forward.
Conquering the Deep: Floating Wind Farms: Wind’s reach extended to deeper waters in 2023 with the inauguration of the world’s first floating wind farm in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Portugal. This innovative technology opens doors to harnessing wind power in previously inaccessible areas.

Policy Winds at the Back:

Inflation Reduction Act (US): The US wind industry received a major boost with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. This landmark legislation offers tax credits for wind energy projects and extends existing ones, paving the way for significant growth in the coming years.
Ambitious Offshore Targets: Countries worldwide are setting ambitious offshore wind targets, solidifying their commitment to clean energy. The UK, for example, aims for 40 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, while Germany has set its sights on 45 GW by the same year.

2023 was a pivotal year for wind energy, demonstrating its unstoppable momentum.

Record-breaking projects, technological advancements, and supportive policies all paint a bright picture for the future of this clean and sustainable energy source. As wind turbines continue to reach for the sky, their blades churn not just electricity, but hope for a cleaner and greener tomorrow.

https://www.exaputra.com/2024/01/wind-energy-takes-flight-in-2023.html

Renewable Energy

Sticking with Science

Published

8 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Alice Rush

It appears that this is precisely what happened to Dr. Fauci during the COVID-19 pandemic. He ran into the perfect storm of anti-science crackpots, and the far right-wing, often counterfactual media, e.g., Fox News and Newsmax.

There are still people who believe that, after 50 years of service, working under five different presidents, his statements about the disease were aimed at crippling the U.S. economy.

Sticking with Science

Renewable Energy

On the Passing of Grateful Dead Co-founder Bob Weir

Published

12 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Alice Rush

A reader notes: I’d like to think virtually no musician has lived a better life than Bob Weir. More than 60 years touring and doing what he loved. We should all strive for that much joy in our lives.

This rings completely true in the world of rock/blues music.

And in classical music, the situation is notable worse, as many of our heroes like Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin lived brief and/or disease-ridden lives.

There were exceptions, however.

Gioacchino Rossini (pictured), known mostly for his operas, loved fine food and drink and lived to be 76 years old.

Louie Moreau Gottschalk, the first American musical celebrity, who was, I’m told, as popular in the mid-19th Century as Elvis Presley was in the mid-20th, traveled the world, playing his intricate piano pieces, and “hanging out” (shall we say) with beautiful ladies.

On the Passing of Grateful Dead Co-founder Bob Weir

Renewable Energy

Ørsted Loses €1.5M Daily, Equinor Sets Empire Wind Deadline

Published

17 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Alice Rush

Weather Guard Lightning Tech

Ørsted Loses €1.5M Daily, Equinor Sets Empire Wind Deadline

Allen covers the deepening US offshore wind crisis as Ørsted reports losing €1.5 million daily on American projects and Equinor sets a January 16 deadline to resume or cancel Empire Wind. Meanwhile, onshore wind thrives with Invenergy’s 2GW Oklahoma project and AES repowering Buffalo Gap in Texas with Vestas turbines.

Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us!

Danish energy giant Ørsted said it is losing one and a half million euros on US offshore projects. Every. Single. Day. Norwegian company Equinor has drawn a line in the sand. January sixteenth. Resume construction on Empire Wind… or cancel the whole thing. 3.5 billion euros invested. Sixty percent complete. And now… a deadline. As we all know, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued stop-work orders on December twenty-second. Just before Christmas. A gift nobody wanted. Ørsted has filed complaints. First on Revolution Wind. Then Sunrise Wind. Court documents reveal the Danish company stands to lose more than 5 billion euros if forced to abandon both projects. Meanwhile… President Trump signed an executive order withdrawing America from sixty-six international organizations. Many focused on energy cooperation. On climate. Ole Rydahl Svensson of Green Power Denmark calls it a sad development. But not surprising. Ole says America is abdicating from renewable energy… in favor of energy forms of the past. The empty seats will be filled quickly, he predicts. By China. By Europe. I personally get asked every week by my European friends, is US onshore wind also under attack?? I think the answer is not yet. While offshore wind projects sit paralyzed by federal orders… Out in the Oklahoma Panhandle… something different is happening. Invenergy is planning a three hundred wind turbine wind farm. Two gigawatts of power. Enough electricity for eight hundred fifty thousand American homes. According to recent filings the turbines will be supplied by GE Vernova. Invenergy already operates wind farms in ten Oklahoma counties. They’ve already built the largest single-phase wind park in North America outside of Oklahoma City. Four billion dollars of investment. Five hundred construction jobs. Thirty permanent positions. No stop-work orders. No court battles. No international incidents. And down near Abilene Texas, AES is repowering its Buffalo Gap wind farm – the existing 282 turbines will be replaced with 117 new Vestas V150 4.5MW turbines. $94 million in tax revenue for local counties and schools over its lifetime. It will also create 300 jobs during peak construction and 17 long-term operations jobs. So while the US oceans remain off-limits… While billions evaporate in legal fees and idle vessels… The wind industry continues to move forward. And that’s the state of the wind industry for January 12, 2026. Join us for the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast tomorrow.