Horseshoe Bend Wind Farm
Embedded within the picturesque Teviot Scheme, the Horseshoe Bend Wind Farm was Pioneer Energy Renewables’ first wind farm development.
Commissioned: 2009
Turbine Details: Three 47m high turbines with 22m long blades
Annual Generation: 1.9 GWh
Horseshoe Bend Wind Farm
There are three wind turbines at Horseshoe Bend with a maximum generation capacity of 75MW each. Each turbine is 69m in total height, based on a hub height of 45m that supports a nacelle containing the gearbox and generator. The rotor diameter is 44m.
The wind turbines require a minimum wind speed of approximately 3-4 metres/sec to start generating, although the blades may turn at lower wind speed. The generation output increases with a wind speed up to 25 metres/sec, when maximum generation output is achieved. If the wind speed exceeds 25 metres/sec the turbine blades are designed to stall, thereby reducing the energy absorbed by the blades. The turbine control system will also sense the increased wind speed and shut the turbine down and apply the brakes. Once the wind speed reduces to below 25 metres/sec the turbines will automatically restart.
The turbines at Horseshoe Bend are designed to operate automatically, with no operator intervention required under normal operating conditions. The turbines will start automatically once the wind speed exceeds 3-4 metres/second. The nacelles automatically track the wind direction and rotate to face the blades into the wind.
The control system continuously monitors the condition of the components which make up the wind turbine and will shut the machine down in the event of any condition moving outside its pre-determined limits.
The site is about 15km east of Roxburgh between the existing Horseshoe Bend power station and dam, on the south side of the Teviot River. The wind turbines are on a plateau above the river, at a height of about 600 metres above sea level. Pioneer owns the land the windfarm is on.