Tunø Knob

Location

The Tunø Knob Offshore Wind Farm is located in the Bay of Aarhus, Denmark, specifically on the sandbar known as Tunø Knob, which is west of the island of Tunø.

Commissioning and Operation

The wind farm was commissioned in 1995, making it one of the early offshore wind farms.

Turbines and Capacity

The wind farm consists of 10 turbines, each being a Vestas V39 model with a capacity of 500 kW. The total nominal power of the wind farm is 5,000 kW or 5 MW.

Physical Characteristics

• Turbine Height: Each turbine stands at a height of 45 meters above the water level.
• Rotor Diameter: The Vestas V39 turbines have a rotor diameter of 39 meters.
• Foundation: The turbines are based on concrete foundations in waters 3-6 meters deep.

Developer and Operator

• Developer: The project was developed by what is now known as Ørsted (previously DONG Energy).
• Operator: The wind farm is operated by Eurowind.

Electrical Output and Impact

The Tunø Knob Offshore Wind Farm produces enough electricity to supply approximately 2,800 households.

Performance and Efficiency

Test results from the Tunø Knob wind farm indicate that actual output is 20–30% higher than that estimated from wind speed prediction models. Additionally, the availability of the turbines has been higher than expected, with an average availability of around 98% reported in other offshore wind farms, although specific data for Tunø Knob is not detailed in this context.

Historical Significance

The Tunø Knob Offshore Wind Farm was the first offshore wind farm developed by the Danish wind turbine company Vestas, marking an important milestone in the development of offshore wind energy.