Wind Farm Energy
Wind is a clean, abundant, and renewable energy resource that can be successfully tapped to produce electricity
This resource is especially effective in the offshore areas by taking advantage of the force of the wind that is produced on the high seas, where it reaches a higher and more constant speed than on land due to the absence of barriers. To utilize this resource, wind farms are seated on the seabed and equipped with the latest technologies.
However, the installation of the offshore wind farms is a complex task. The biggest problem is elevating wind turbines and substations above the sea level and anchoring them to the sea bed. Poland’s Baltic Sea is covered by various kinds of sediments, ranging from loam through fine‐grained sand and coarse sands, to gravel and stones, with sediment thickness varying between 50 and 100m.
That is why a site-specific assessment should be performed before a wind turbine installation. Geological and geotechnical characterisation is important for designing offshore wind turbine foundations. It is because the wind farm installations without the prior ground inspection can be eroded away by hydrodynamic processes activated by wind and wave actions. Evaluation of geohazards is important also for designing underwater cables for electricity transmission.
