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Great Lakes wind power a major opportunity
July 01, 2008
KINGSTON–The sun was shining, the wind was gentle, and the water calm as a boatload of visitors to Kingston, guests of budding offshore wind developer Trillium Power, embarked last week on a three-hour tour of Lake Ontario. The cruise was timed to coincide with a global wind power conference at St. Lawrence College.
Trillium’s goal was simple: Show people, rather than just tell, how much stronger and consistent the wind is when venturing offshore.
About 30 minutes into the ride the mission was accomplished. What was a relatively smooth cruise became a stomach-churning experience as the wind-battered Catamaran, big enough to hold 180 people, began shifting back and forth in the water. Staff ran to keep bottles of wine from smashing on to the floor, while guests were urged to stay seated.
“The wind here is three times more powerful,” said John Kourtoff, chief executive of Trillium, as he compared the potential wind energy from his project to existing onshore wind farms scattered around southern Ontario.
Kourtoff wants to build a 750-megawatt offshore wind farm in these waters, about 15 kilometres off the shore of Prince Edward County. That works out to about 150 wind turbines, seen as specks from the shoreline. And there’s potential to double that.
Earlier this month, he announced the creation of Tai Wind, a consortium of North American offshore wind developers who hope, by combining their collective needs, to attract a turbine manufacturer to Ontario.
Already, Germany’s Multibrid is seriously considering the invitation and, sources say, has begun high-level discussions between its executives and Ontario government officials.
Read the full article by Tyler Hamilton in the Toronto Star at http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/451466
