Kola Wind Farm
The Kola Wind Farm is the world's largest wind farm beyond the Arctic Circle. It is located at the 80th km of Serebryansky Highway on the Kola Peninsula in Murmansk Region and consists of 57 turbines with a total capacity of 202 MW. The facility is located on the area of 257 hectares and generates about 750 million kWh per year, thus preventing emissions of up to 600 thousand tons of CO2 equivalent annually.
In June 2017, as part of a bid for the construction of wind power generation facilities held by the Russian government, EL5-Energo was granted the right to implement Kola Wind Farm project. On September 19, 2019, the groundbreaking ceremony was held at the wind farm construction site.
In 2021, by the decree of the governor of Murmansk region, the “Construction and further operation of the Kola Wind Farm with the 200.97 MW installed capacity in Kola district, Murmansk region” investment project was granted the status of a strategic investment project of the region.
On December 1, 2022, EL5-Energo was given permission to put into commercial operation the first stage of the Kola Wind Farm with the capacity of 170 MW (84% of the designed capacity). In March 1, 2023, the wind farm reached 100% of its installed capacity.
On May 12, 2023, a solemn ceremony of launching the Kola Wind Farm was held, involving participation of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak, the Governor of Murmansk Region Andrey Chibis and Chief Executive Officer of PJSC LUKOIL Vadim Vorobyov.
On the area of 257 hectares more than 60 kilometers of roads were built, 75 kilometers of underground cable lines as well as almost the same number of power lines were laid, a substation was constructed and a solid concrete foundation was built for each of 57 WTGs. According to the estimation, the entire work required two million man-hours.
To perform erection work at the Kola Wind Farm construction site, a crane with the lifting capacity of 750 tons was used.
All WTGs operate in an automatic mode. At the top of each there are small weather stations transmitting a signal about the wind. The windmills begin rotating when the wind speed is 3 meters per second; if it increases to 25 m/s, the blades are automatically blocked. Moreover, depending on the direction of the wind, the blades automatically turn to capture the maximum volume of wind.
Obligatory environmental restoration measures are implemented during the construction process. Thus, in 2020-2021, as part of the project on constructing the Kola Wind Farm overhead line, such compensatory measures were taken as the artificial reproduction and release of more than 10 thousand two-year-old Atlantic salmon into the Umba River, and the company also implemented a reforestation project in Olenegorsk district of Murmansk region on the area of 71.5 hectares. In 2021-2022, depending on the section of the overhead line, technical land reclamation was carried out, and the forest aisles were brought into proper condition.