Skip to main content
giant-ship-haliade-1200x350

BLOCK ISLAND - THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

GETTING BLOCK ISLAND SHIPSHAPE

From the first time you see it, the Brave Tern raises questions. Is that a ship? What are those columns on it? And if you think you’re curious now, just wait until it arrives at Block Island, Rhode Island, to start setting up America’s first offshore wind farm. That’s when things get really weird.

The Brave Tern transmogrifies from a ship into an at-sea construction platform. And those four massive columns? They drop down through the deck, raising the entire ship up high above the ocean, to start the offshore wind farm construction process. Over several intense weeks, the offshore wind turbine installation advances. It’s an engineering marvel.

The ship is carrying five wind turbine nacelles for the Block Island Wind Farm—each capable of producing 6 MW of offshore wind energy. When they are installed, they’ll be as tall as the Statue of Liberty, and will be an integral part of the offshore wind farm. When completed, the farm will generate 125,000 MW-hours of electricity, enough to meet almost all of Block Island’s energy needs.

In addition to implementing America’s first offshore wind farm, GE also provides offshore wind power services to ensure optimal performance across the lifetime of a wind farm.

Learn more about the technology and innovation behind one of the world’s largest offshore wind turbine.

Read the full story at http://www.gereports.com/meet-the-strangest-sight-in-the-north-atlantic/