TVO has gained plenty of valuable experience in the use of wind power
The 90th Finnish wind power plant was inaugurated in Flutanperä, next to the Olkiluoto Visitor Centre, on 15 November 2004. Since then, the power plant has produced a total of 14 548 MWh of electricity to the national grid. Last year the production of the wind power plant was 1 030.42 MWh and capacity factor 11.8 %. It would have taken a little more than one hour to produce the same amount with one of TVO’s nuclear power plant units.
Wind power has provided an opportunity to gain experience in the use and costs of wind power in the conditions prevailing in Olkiluoto. The experience gained has also proven that different production modes on one and the same plant site are not mutually exclusive.
Wind power production still accounts for a very small share, about 0.7 percent, of the total electricity production in Finland and 2.3 percent of the global production. However, when agreements on emissions trading and climate protection are taken into consideration, it is increasing in significance as a production mode with no carbon dioxide emissions, together with nuclear power, in the energy production of the world.
Olkiluoto wind power plant has produced electricity for a good 9 nine years.
Domestic technology
The rated output of Olkiluoto wind power plant is 1 MW. The plant was built by the Finnish company WinWind Oy and its degree of domestic origin is ca. 85 %. The wind power plant production of WinWind has since been sold to foreign investors and the plants are no longer manufactured in Finland.
The rotor of the wind power plant requires a wind speed of about 3 m/s to rotate. The plant moves over to the nominal power range at 12.5 m/s wind speed, and at a wind speed of 25 m/s, the plant is automatically shut down and turned to face the wind to protect it from damage. The equipment plant, which is located at the top of the ca. 65 m tall tower together with the rotor, contains the generator, the transmission system and the power electronics. The diameter of the three-blade rotor is 60 m. The machinery and blades weigh a total of ca. 55 tons. When the rotor rotates, the tip of the blade reaches a height of ca. 90 m. The maximum speed of the rotor is 25 rpm and at that value the blade tip moves at a speed of almost 300 km/h. The rotor speed can be controlled by adjusting the blade angle. The electricity produced by the generator is converted to grid frequency with a frequency converter.
The length of the blades of the Olkiluoto wind power plant was easier to grasp, when the rotor was waiting to be lifted up.
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