The text below is the transcript from the '2B WHITELEE WINDFARM' video. An audio-described version of the video is also available.
Video Title: 2B WHITELEE WINDFARM
LAURA: Hi, I'm Laurie Young, also known as Leslie, Florida. And for the past few years, I've tried to live an environmentally conscious lifestyle and advocate for climate justice. I'm journeying around the amazing Wheatly Wind Farm to learn more about the future of our energy and the net zero debate. I've just met Stuart Mason, whose job it was to build this fabulous wind farm, and I'm now on my way to meet the people whose job it is to keep the turbines turning and the energy flowing. It's so great to see these pass roads and signs so well maintained. I'm relying on them today, but it makes Whitelee so accessible.
Hi, guys, you all right?
MARK: Hiya.
LAURA: Is it, Joe and Mark?
MARK: So, I’m Mark.
LAURA: Nice to meet you.
JOE: I’m Joe, pleased to meet you.
LAURA: How are you doing? I'm Laura. It's nice to meet you. I've heard I need to come up here to meet you guys to find out what keeps this place turning. So, Joe, what is it you do at Whitelee?
JOE: So, my responsibility, along with the field operations team, is to make sure that these blades continue to turn and effectively produce the continued green energy that we need.
LAURA: And you get the best outfit, so that was always great.
JOE: Absolutely.
LAURA: So, what do you do then?
MARK: Well, I head up the control centre operations, which is actually based here at Whitelee.
LAURA: I think I cycled past there on my way here.
MARK: Yeah, you probably did, and the difference, obviously, with that control centre is they are 24/7. So, there's always people here. 365 days a year.
LAUAR: Amazing. So, we're under a turbine right now, and it's moving. So, what's actually keeping that moving? Other than maybe just the obvious wind.
JOE: Yeah, so to keep that blade turning, we obviously need the wind and unfortunately, I can't control the wind. I wish I could, but I can't. What we can control is what we do to make sure that that turbine keeps turning. So, we make sure that we manage the site in a sustainable way, in a safe way, and an effective way. So, to do that, the most important thing that we do is once a year, like you with taking a car to a service, for example. So we make sure that that turbine from the tip of the blade right the way down the blade through the rotor, through the drive-train, the generator, the cables down the tower, all the computers within the top line, transforming itself. We need to make sure that it's fully maintained once a year. So, the technicians will enter the turbine, they'll do a full inspection of all adjustments of the various different equipment within the turbine. And they'll make sure that top line is running optimally. They then come out that turbine and that's hopefully the last time you see that turbine or revisit that turbine for the remainder of the year. That's a really important task that we do continually across Whitelee.
MARK: And my team and Joe's team work hand-in-hand together. So, the control centre that is overseeing, obviously not actually just Whitelee, but the control centre is overseeing our portfolio right across the UK and beyond. I say beyond because we've got an offshore wind farm just off the coast of Germany.
LAURA: That's good. That's beyond.
MARK: So, where Joe was saying the team are out working and doing maintenance, the control centre also part of that as well. So they can see every single one of these turbines, so around 1500 turbines across the UK and the team are looking at 24/7, 365 days a year. And they're also looking at people logging on and off sight. So, whenever you come on site to work, you have to log on and off with the control centre, and obviously save systems at work have to be followed as well, just to make sure everybody's obviously safe
LAURA: So, they could do anything with any one of these at any time? I'm tempted to ask you to stop one.
MARK: Phone the controls centre just now while I get them to stop this turbine.
LAURA: But right now, actually, we've got a bit of sun. There's not a lot of wind, but they are turning. But, what is like, you're perfect, this is going to be a great day for the wind farm.
JOE: So, what we want is not too windy.
LAURA: Really?
JOE: Yeah. So, the optimum wind speed we want, again, I'm going to get technical with speed that we want for the turbines is about 8 to 10 meters per second. So, that's an optimum wind speed where there's a nice linear wind, and the turbines are producing well. The turbines will peak around 60 meters per second, and that's the kind of where we'll see the maximum output.
LAURA: That's when you wouldn't walk your dog.
JOE: Absolutely. You’d be struggling. You’d be walking your dog and the dog would be flying in the air. So, yeah, that the optimum wind speed we want is 9 or 10 meters per second. It's a good wind speed. That's the generally the average we get across the UK about 8 to 10 meters per second. But the full output the turbine will cover about 60 meters per second. So that's the good wind that we want. So they like this. Nice. No rain on 60 metres per second.
LAURA: It's an unusual day with no rain. But what is it that one turbines can produce?
JOE: So one turbine, one of these turbines here, are 2.3 megawatt turbine. So, that turbine will produce enough power at maximum output from live around 5000 homes at any given time. And if you multiply that up, that's enough to power or help power a city the size of Glasgow. So, one of Scotland’s largest cities. The full wind farm of Whitelee will help to power that city.
LAURA: That's just amazing. So, I’m just going to go see the big battery. Can you point me in the right direction.?
MARK: Sure, the battery's just straight up that way.
LAURA: It was so nice meeting you guys. Enjoy your day.
MARK: You too. Take care.
LAURA: Folk keep talking to me about this battery, so I'm away to find out more about it. Join me next time as I find out more.