Scorpion powers the way to the world’s largest wind-farm development

Scorpion standby powerAs part of the plans of Naikun Wind Energy Group to build and operate the world’s largest wind farm off the northwest coast of British Columbia, Scorpion Power Systems is providing power for the company’s $2.5 million marine meteorological station at the project site off the coast of Haida Gwaii at the tip of Queen Charlotte Islands. The marine meteorological station is located off shore and equipped with instruments to measure and collect data of atmospheric conditions, the speed and direction of waves and wind, and the temperature of sea and air. This data will play an important role in pre-engineering the project and identifying optimum sites for the wind turbines. A key component in collecting this data is QinetiQ’s ZephIR, which uses LIDAR (Light Intensity Doppler Radar) to measure wind speed, direction and shear up to 150 m in height. Environmental restrictions prevented the use of a diesel generator. Naikun needed to find another way of powering ZephIR and a range of other equipment, including met-ocean measuring equipment and satellite communications equipment. Scorpion devised a solution comprising four 600 W wind-turbine controllers, deep-cycle batteries with a capacity of 2400 Ah, an auxiliary mains charge and a mains controller with termination panel and internal lighting. The equipment is housed in a saline-resistant steel enclosure measuring 2500 x 1500 x 200 mm and mounted on a steel bed frame. When completed, this offshore wind farm will generate 1750 MW of electricity to serve 600 000 homes. Peter Hunter, vice president for design and construction for NaiKun Wind Developments, says, ‘Scorpion played in important role in the development of this met station. The skills they deployed have helped us tremendously in powering the LIDAR system, which, in turn, will enable us to obtain a great deal of information about the wind regime in the Hectate Strait.’