Aberdeen wind farm event attracts almost 1000 visitors

Vattenfall supported the free Windfarm Discovery event in ASC’s Energy Zone on February 11 and 12. As part of this, Vattenfall showcased the innovation and technology being deployed at the EOWDC that it is developing off Aberdeen Bay. Members of Vattenfall’s project team behind the EOWDC – Scotland’s largest offshore wind test and demonstration facility –were on hand to talk about the project while ASC also ran interactive workshops.

The event is the first of a series of public events and outreach activities themed around offshore wind and technology that ASC and Vattenfall, the company behind the innovative European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC), have developed and which will run until September 2018.

Liz Hodge, chief executive at Aberdeen Science Centre, said: “The beginning of this partnership with Vattenfall marks an exciting time for ASC. We were delighted by the huge turnout at the Windfarm Discovery weekend. The weekend attracted everyone from families to professionals, and from a wide range of industries.

“The EOWDC will surely make a huge difference to our surrounding areas, and we’re keen to engage our local communities, schools, and people in what this kind of energy means for us as a population. We also hope to engage people in the project, allow them to think about career options in renewables and more generally expand knowledge when it comes to energy.”

The event will continue to run at ASC until the end of February, 2017, including turbine and foundations demonstrations, workshops and other associated activities while the project is to be rolled out to schools and nurseries in the region. ASC and Vattenfall will also be hosting events at major festivals including the May Festival and the Energetica Festival.

Among activities in the ongoing joint outreach programme will be public and school-facing workshops.
Renewable energy CPD (continuous professional development) sessions will also be offered to teachers to give them the confidence to explore the science behind offshore wind in the classroom and help encourage future ambassadors for wind energy and innovation in the region. As part of this, resource kits to compliment the Curriculum for Excellence will be provided.

In addition, ASC’s Stem Club for 7-11 year olds will deliver a series of hands-on workshops with a focus on and feature hands-on workshops and visits from experts on offshore wind technology.

Adam Ezzamel, project director for the EOWDC at Vattenfall, said: “The exceptional number of visitors to the Windfarm Discovery weekend is a clear sign of the significant appetite in the North-east to learn more about wind energy. We look forward to continuing to help educate people in the region about the technology behind offshore wind. The EOWDC scheme places the North-east at the heart of Scotland’s push towards clean, green energy and we see it as vital to get children, teachers and wider communities learning and talking about the cutting-edge technology involved.”

“We hope Windfarm Discovery weekend and other events planned in the partnership will also encourage people to consider working in the wind energy industry which offers a vibrant and global platform for carving our long-term careers across a diverse range of professions.”