Dong takes 3D view at Westermost

Dong Energy and SmartWind Technologies have installed an advanced radar system to collect 3D data on the wind flow at the 210MW Westermost Rough offshore wind farm off the UK’s east coast.

Dong said the BeaCon radar project is the first of its kind in the world and represents a “paradigm shift in wind measurements”.

It said the initial data is providing a wealth of detail on how the turbine array interacts with the evolving wind field.

Dong Energy BeaCon technical manager Nicolai Gayle Nygaard said: “We’re getting minute-by-minute 3D images of the wind flow through the wind power plant.

“This is a game changer for the industry. We’re no longer limited to measuring the wind at just one point, now we can document the wind field across the entire wind power plant and coastal domain.

“We get new insights that provide valuable information for the design and operation of future wind power plants.”