Sachua Arequibo Offshore Wind Farm
The Sachua Arequibo Offshore Wind Farm, or SA Wind Farm for short, is an offshore wind farm near the coast of the Islas de la Libertad in Nouvelle Alexandrie. The wind farm consists of a single site, spanning over 750 square kilometers (290 sq mi) about 80 km southwest of the south coast of the Islas de La Libertad. The farm is composed of 185 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 13.5 MW, with a combined output of 2.5 GW. The turbines in question stand at 170 meters in height, with a rotor diameter of 222 meters.
Construction of the farm started in II.1731 AN, with the last monopile foundation being installed in XII.1731 AN, and the first wind turbine being installed in V.1732 AN. The farm became fully operational by VII.1733 AN, with the last operational notification being granted in VI.1734 AN.
It provides enough wind power to support the energy need of 1.8 million households on Islas de la Libertad, about 40% of the islands entire population. Since its operational commencement, this has risen the use of renewable energy on Islas de La Libertad by more than 75%.
History
The construction of the wind farm was part of the National Infrastructure Plan, a 1729 AN policy plan under the Government of Nouvelle Alexandrie, as led by President Marissa Santini. Its aim was to provide a reliable renewable energy source for the Islas de la Libertad, who had relied on offshore Oil and Gas mining for their energy production since they became part of Nouvelle Alexandrie. The tendering process, started in 1729 AN, was awarded to the National Construction Corporation and ESB Construction under a joint venture agreement. The project was estimated to have a potential generating capacity between 2 and 3 GW.
The Sachua Arequibo site, about 80 km southwest of Rincón, was chosen for its peak wind capacity, as well as being removed from major shipping lanes. Water depth ranged from 35 to 70 metres (115 to 230 ft), with a tidal range of 3 to 7 metres (10 to 23 ft) and a typical annual wave height of 1.40 to 1.89 m (4 ft 7 in to 6 ft 2 in). The majority of the seabed consisted of sands and gravel.
Construction was began by ESB Construction in II.1729 AN, with ownership transferred to the state-owned Libertad Island Energy Company soon thereafter. The LIEC retains 100% ownership of the wind farm. In 1733 AN, when operational commencement neared, the final generating capacity was determined at 2.5 GW.
Battery storage
Adjacent to the Northern substation, about 12 miles west of Rincón, the Francisco Cuaréz battery storage power station was installed in 1734 AN, housing 3 95 MW LFP batteries, capable of producing 285 MW for 3 hours.
Potential additions
ESB Construction and NCC are currently investigating the potential to double the size of the Sachua Arequibo Wind Farm, through the additional of SA Site B. This would add another 1.5 GW output. For this, the grid would have to be upgraded, since it can only support a total of 3 GW of capacity at the moment.
