Lowestoft

Lowestoft is a town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England, lying between the eastern edge of The Broads National Park at Oulton Broad and the North Sea. Nearby Lowestoft Ness is the most easterly point in England, the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and the British Isles.

Wind turbine

A huge wind turbine, built in December 2004, now dominates the town. It is the world's largest wind turbine.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The construction of the wind turbine began on Tuesday 7 December 2004 with a 108 m high crane lifting the 71 tonne Tower Lower Section. The 65 tonne Tower Middle Section, 46 tonne Tower Top Section, 83 tonne nacelle and 54 tonne, 92 m diameter Rotor Blade Assembly were erected on Friday 10 December 2004. The new turbine began generating electricity in January 2005 and has a generating capacity of up to 2.75 MW, although the original proposal was for an even bigger 3.2 MW turbine.

Related Topics:
7 December - 2004 - M - Crane - Tonne - Nacelle - 10 December - MW

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The hub height is 80 m (262 ft). The blade tip height is 126 m (413 ft). The nacelle assembly weighs 83 tonnes and is 11.2 m (37 ft) long, 3.3 m (11 ft) wide, 3.8 m (12.5 ft) high, making it the biggest wind turbine on mainland UK as of April 2005.

Related Topics:
UK - As of April 2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Each of the 3 blades weighs 10 tonnes and is 44.8 m (147 ft) long. The overall diameter of the rotor assembly is 92 m (301 ft). The blade tips slice through the air at about 150 miles per hour. The turbulence this generates accounts for the pulsating "whooshing" noise audible when you stand underneath.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~