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Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:02,389 --> 00:00:08,270 Today, on Impossible Engineering, the largest offshore wind farm on the 2 00:00:08,970 --> 00:00:11,430 We're actually at the very cutting edge of the industry. 3 00:00:11,850 --> 00:00:13,610 Nothing on this scale has been done before. 4 00:00:15,790 --> 00:00:18,550 Marine engineering in a league of its own. 5 00:00:19,330 --> 00:00:23,610 The circumference of the turbine with the blades on is about the same as the 6 00:00:23,610 --> 00:00:26,450 London Eye. It's an absolutely awesome project. 7 00:00:26,830 --> 00:00:29,430 And the inspired historic innovations. 8 00:00:29,910 --> 00:00:30,990 Look at this. 9 00:00:40,460 --> 00:00:43,300 that made the impossible possible. 10 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:54,300 The North Sea. 11 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,560 Separating Britain from Northern Europe. 12 00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:04,000 Its waters stretch over 289 ,000 square miles. 13 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:08,520 It's a famously hostile environment. 14 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:17,000 Storms bring 20 -foot waves, whipped up by nearly 70 -mile -per -hour winds. 15 00:01:18,500 --> 00:01:23,760 Challenging conditions for one of the world's busiest shipping areas, whose 16 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,600 traffic must also navigate shifting sandbanks. 17 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,080 It seems an impossible place to build. 18 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:38,080 But these awe -inspiring natural forces are irresistible to a group of intrepid 19 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:39,080 engineers. 20 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:44,760 Around 12 miles off the British coast, an ambitious project is taking on these 21 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:50,280 waters. It's a hostile environment, and it presents a major challenge for any 22 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:51,560 kind of engineering construction. 23 00:01:52,140 --> 00:01:55,320 But this is an unprecedented engineering marvel. 24 00:01:57,180 --> 00:01:58,760 The London Array. 25 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,460 The London Array is the world's largest offshore wind farm. 26 00:02:07,860 --> 00:02:12,980 175 towering turbines capture the energy of the wind and convert it into record 27 00:02:12,980 --> 00:02:14,420 -breaking levels of electricity. 28 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:19,320 On an average year, the wind farm produces over 2 billion units of 29 00:02:19,700 --> 00:02:21,480 That's enough to power half a million houses. 30 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:28,020 It's an army of giant spinning windmills that covers more than 38 square miles. 31 00:02:30,150 --> 00:02:34,590 Right now we're about 87 meters above sea level. You can see the rotor behind 32 00:02:34,590 --> 00:02:37,030 us, so each blade length is 58 meters. 33 00:02:37,890 --> 00:02:42,310 Standing out on these machines, it really does make you feel what a unique 34 00:02:42,310 --> 00:02:43,310 to be. 35 00:02:48,530 --> 00:02:53,250 London Array's turbines reach almost 495 feet above sea level. 36 00:02:54,730 --> 00:02:58,170 Each blade is almost as long as a jumbo jet's wingspan. 37 00:02:59,420 --> 00:03:02,640 embedded in 716 -ton foundations. 38 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,120 They feed into 125 miles of cabling. 39 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:14,040 Two offshore substations send all this power to the mainland, where it provides 40 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,620 enough electricity for 500 ,000 homes. 41 00:03:20,740 --> 00:03:24,380 But engineering on this scale at sea has never been done before. 42 00:03:25,290 --> 00:03:29,130 And this unpredictable environment presents huge construction challenges. 43 00:03:31,230 --> 00:03:34,790 There was a really ambitious plan to build a wind farm here. 44 00:03:35,170 --> 00:03:36,430 It's quite tidal restricted. 45 00:03:37,730 --> 00:03:41,410 There's a lot of change in tidal heights, so there's very high currents, 46 00:03:41,410 --> 00:03:42,410 of moving sand banks. 47 00:03:42,730 --> 00:03:47,270 The brutal marine environment also takes its toll on any technology. 48 00:03:47,630 --> 00:03:52,370 And Captain Nick Coville is part of the team making this immense wind farm a 49 00:03:52,370 --> 00:03:56,160 reality. If a piece of equipment fails, we're working to a very, very small 50 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:56,899 weather window. 51 00:03:56,900 --> 00:03:59,620 We can't nip to the local hardware store and get another one. 52 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:06,660 But above all, in the middle of one of Europe's most extreme locations, these 53 00:04:06,660 --> 00:04:10,920 turbines must somehow generate year -round power on an unparalleled scale. 54 00:04:13,260 --> 00:04:18,500 We need to generate electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week, this remote 55 00:04:18,500 --> 00:04:19,560 offshore location. 56 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,320 It's an unforgiving and unpredictable environment. 57 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:26,980 Out here, the challenges are enormous. 58 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,680 The team must do whatever they can to keep the blades turning. 59 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:35,240 So how is it even possible to harness the power of the wind? 60 00:04:47,700 --> 00:04:52,260 Dr. Andrew Steele is on the windswept coastline of Scotland searching for the 61 00:04:52,260 --> 00:04:55,380 relics of an idea that sparked an engineering revolution. 62 00:04:57,180 --> 00:05:01,340 This 18th century salt mill is one of Scotland's best preserved windmills. 63 00:05:01,540 --> 00:05:03,560 The principle behind a windmill is simple. 64 00:05:03,840 --> 00:05:08,420 By taking a linear motion from the wind, spinning those giant sails and creating 65 00:05:08,420 --> 00:05:12,680 a rotary motion, you can then use axles and gears to take that motion to 66 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:14,000 wherever you want to use the energy. 67 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,520 This windmill would have once had large sails. 68 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:23,040 Its rotation was used to pump seawater onto the land for the production of 69 00:05:23,300 --> 00:05:27,000 It was a technology that hadn't changed for thousands of years. 70 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:36,220 Just like today's engineers at the London Array Offshore Wind Farm, 71 00:05:36,220 --> 00:05:40,500 engineer James Blythe was determined to generate electricity from wind power. 72 00:05:42,190 --> 00:05:47,970 And in 1887, in his garden on the coast, he built the world's first wind turbine 73 00:05:47,970 --> 00:05:49,590 to power the lights in his cottage. 74 00:05:50,770 --> 00:05:53,070 But it's said his neighbors weren't impressed. 75 00:05:53,470 --> 00:05:56,290 They considered electricity the work of the devil. 76 00:06:00,370 --> 00:06:04,690 Andrew Steele, however, has managed to track down a place that welcomed 77 00:06:04,690 --> 00:06:05,690 innovation. 78 00:06:06,570 --> 00:06:10,370 Although Blythe's design didn't prove popular with the locals, he did manage 79 00:06:10,370 --> 00:06:14,470 find a new home for it here at Sunnyside Hospital, or as it was known then, 80 00:06:15,010 --> 00:06:16,350 Montrose Lunatic Asylum. 81 00:06:16,790 --> 00:06:21,890 With electricity supplies in this era notoriously unreliable, Blythe proposed 82 00:06:21,890 --> 00:06:23,990 adding his new wind turbine invention. 83 00:06:25,230 --> 00:06:29,550 Blythe attached his generator to an accumulator, an early form of 84 00:06:29,550 --> 00:06:32,190 battery, and his invention was an instant hit. 85 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:38,000 Bly's design was so successful, it actually stood here and powered Montrose 86 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,820 Lunatic Asylum for 30 years before it was demolished. 87 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:58,100 London Array's 175 turbines are over 10 times taller than the Montrose turbine. 88 00:07:01,420 --> 00:07:04,560 reaching 482 feet from base to blade tip. 89 00:07:06,420 --> 00:07:12,000 While Blythe used horizontally rotating cylinders, the array uses 190 -foot 90 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,180 -long vertical blades to squeeze as much electricity as possible out of the 91 00:07:16,180 --> 00:07:17,720 North Sea's powerful winds. 92 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:28,660 The vital job of ensuring the turbines remain operational falls to a team of 93 00:07:28,660 --> 00:07:29,820 specialized engineers. 94 00:07:33,870 --> 00:07:37,970 When they're called into action, they must first make the over 12 -mile 95 00:07:37,970 --> 00:07:38,970 out to sea. 96 00:07:40,570 --> 00:07:45,870 We have 175 offshore power generation plants, so we need to send people 97 00:07:45,870 --> 00:07:48,470 to keep all of the turbines running all of the time. 98 00:07:49,330 --> 00:07:53,110 It's quite an extreme job. The guys have to be tough and they have to be capable 99 00:07:53,110 --> 00:07:54,430 of meeting physical demands. 100 00:07:55,210 --> 00:07:59,750 They have extraordinary access to the hidden inner workings of these 101 00:07:59,750 --> 00:08:00,750 structures. 102 00:08:04,270 --> 00:08:08,830 Today, senior operations technician Ronnie Hill must carry out essential 103 00:08:08,830 --> 00:08:11,750 maintenance to the turbine known as Echo 1 -9. 104 00:08:14,710 --> 00:08:19,010 Hi, Rob, it's Echo 1 -9. I take control fees under AWP. 105 00:08:19,570 --> 00:08:22,570 There's no restrictions. 106 00:08:24,210 --> 00:08:28,890 Before work can begin, he must access a control panel on the lower platform to 107 00:08:28,890 --> 00:08:30,490 bring the blades to a standstill. 108 00:08:32,039 --> 00:08:34,500 So you can already hear already starting to slow down. 109 00:08:36,580 --> 00:08:37,580 There we go. 110 00:08:40,260 --> 00:08:44,820 Each giant tower contains an elevator to assist team members like senior 111 00:08:44,820 --> 00:08:48,880 engineer Ed Hall with at least some of the 230 -foot ascent. 112 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:52,160 So that's the last part of the journey over. 113 00:08:53,980 --> 00:08:57,440 Quite a challenge just getting access to the point of work. 114 00:08:58,260 --> 00:08:59,800 Yeah, now we've got to climb up. 115 00:09:03,980 --> 00:09:06,680 The heart of the turbine is known as the nacelle. 116 00:09:09,020 --> 00:09:14,300 A 33 -foot -long stainless steel enclosure, the nacelle, houses the 117 00:09:14,300 --> 00:09:16,760 needed to produce electricity from the blades. 118 00:09:19,540 --> 00:09:21,400 Not many people get to see this part. 119 00:09:21,620 --> 00:09:22,620 It's very unique. 120 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:27,280 This is the nacelle of the turbine where all the action happens. So this is 121 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:30,360 where the power is getting generated and transmitted. 122 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,180 We have the rotor at the front with the blades. 123 00:09:33,560 --> 00:09:38,160 So that rotational energy is transferred through a gearbox, and behind me we 124 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,140 have the generator where the electrical energy is produced. 125 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,520 The energy from the turbine's blades can produce electricity in as little as 7 126 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:49,620 mph winds. 127 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:56,680 The turbine blades rotate an input shaft at up to 13 revolutions per minute. 128 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:02,120 A gearbox makes the output shaft spin more than 100 times faster. 129 00:10:03,269 --> 00:10:07,390 A generator then converts this increased kinetic energy to electricity. 130 00:10:11,530 --> 00:10:14,490 So the parts we're giving today is lubricating the main bearing. 131 00:10:14,850 --> 00:10:16,230 Those are like bearings in your car. 132 00:10:16,450 --> 00:10:19,950 Every time they wear out, the more we lubricate it, the longer it keeps going, 133 00:10:20,170 --> 00:10:21,230 the more power we can produce. 134 00:10:21,450 --> 00:10:22,870 That's what we're here to do at the end of the day. 135 00:10:24,990 --> 00:10:25,990 There we go. 136 00:10:26,250 --> 00:10:27,930 These machines, they don't stop. 137 00:10:28,990 --> 00:10:30,670 Some are winter Christmas, Christmas Day. 138 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:33,120 I've still got a van with only electricity. 139 00:10:39,100 --> 00:10:43,440 Constructing just one of these megastructures is a huge engineering 140 00:10:44,420 --> 00:10:50,520 So how do you make 175 of them when your building site is the North Sea? 141 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:54,420 Not only do you have challenging seabed conditions, you also have different 142 00:10:54,420 --> 00:10:56,460 depths. It's a challenge from start to finish. 143 00:11:18,150 --> 00:11:23,810 These 175 turbines make up the world's largest offshore wind farm, the London 144 00:11:23,810 --> 00:11:24,810 Array. 145 00:11:26,830 --> 00:11:31,590 For head of operations Graham Doss, it's a perfect location for a bumper 146 00:11:31,590 --> 00:11:33,850 harvest. We're on the coast of the UK. 147 00:11:34,290 --> 00:11:37,670 We have more wind energy than pretty much the whole of the rest of Europe. 148 00:11:41,110 --> 00:11:43,950 Spanning an area over 38 square miles. 149 00:11:44,940 --> 00:11:51,300 These nearly 495 -foot -high turbines are kept operational 24 hours a day, 150 00:11:51,300 --> 00:11:55,480 days a week, to produce 2 .5 billion units of electricity a year. 151 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,900 Each of these massive marvels is made up of mammoth components. 152 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,760 The tower itself in two parts weigh around about 200 tons. 153 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:12,520 Each one of those blades is around about 25 or 30 tons each. 154 00:12:12,970 --> 00:12:17,730 And then the cell, the part that goes onto the top of the wind turbine, these 155 00:12:17,730 --> 00:12:19,110 can be up to 300 tons. 156 00:12:19,950 --> 00:12:24,590 But constructing this army of giants in the unforgiving North Sea is the biggest 157 00:12:24,590 --> 00:12:25,590 battle of all. 158 00:12:30,610 --> 00:12:32,850 The weather conditions can be very variable. 159 00:12:33,270 --> 00:12:37,450 We can have mist and fog as we have today. You can have nice flat counties. 160 00:12:37,790 --> 00:12:41,050 And you can also have storm force conditions rolling in without warning. 161 00:12:43,210 --> 00:12:46,170 It's a significant operation to install one of these turbines. 162 00:12:46,490 --> 00:12:47,610 Fast flowing tides. 163 00:12:47,990 --> 00:12:51,170 The nature of the seabed is extremely variable. 164 00:12:51,470 --> 00:12:54,610 So even in one location, we could get a distance of up to 10 meters. 165 00:12:54,950 --> 00:12:57,670 The change is very, very extreme in a very, very small area. 166 00:12:57,950 --> 00:12:59,630 It's a challenge from start to finish. 167 00:13:00,390 --> 00:13:04,730 So how is it possible to create a stable structure when your building site is 168 00:13:04,730 --> 00:13:05,730 underwater? 169 00:13:18,070 --> 00:13:22,330 Aeromanche in northern France is the site of an historic marine construction 170 00:13:22,330 --> 00:13:23,330 breakthrough. 171 00:13:25,970 --> 00:13:30,830 Today, Dr. Rhys Morgan is joining a team of divers who are tracking down an 172 00:13:30,830 --> 00:13:31,890 engineering relic. 173 00:13:34,550 --> 00:13:38,930 This coastline is the site of some of the most incredible Second World War 174 00:13:38,930 --> 00:13:43,730 engineering. And we're on the hunt for perhaps its most ingenious component. 175 00:13:46,220 --> 00:13:51,160 Lurking in the depths since the 1940s lies a game -changing innovation that 176 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:55,080 influenced countless future engineers like the team at London Array. 177 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:05,240 During 1944, the D -Day landings gave the Allies a toehold in Europe, but this 178 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:06,240 was just the beginning. 179 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:11,480 To free the Nazi -occupied continent, they faced the problem of landing 180 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:13,920 quantities of equipment on the Normandy coast. 181 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,360 To take on the mighty German army, hundreds of thousands of troops and 182 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,060 vehicles had to be landed on the beaches behind me. 183 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:31,500 British engineer Sir Bruce Gordon White had to carry out an astonishing plan. 184 00:14:32,380 --> 00:14:36,100 Construct two fully functioning harbors in a matter of two days. 185 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:41,740 And it would have been impossible without a brilliantly simple piece of 186 00:14:41,740 --> 00:14:43,640 engineering called a spud leg. 187 00:14:46,030 --> 00:14:47,030 There it is. 188 00:14:47,350 --> 00:14:48,410 Ah, look. 189 00:14:49,170 --> 00:14:50,250 There's the edge of it. 190 00:14:50,730 --> 00:14:52,830 It's definitely got an upright. 191 00:14:54,110 --> 00:14:55,330 One spudleg. 192 00:14:55,550 --> 00:15:00,470 Fantastic. We've actually found one of the original spudlegs on the seabed. 193 00:15:01,690 --> 00:15:06,550 It's incredible to think that these now discarded pieces of metal were once 194 00:15:06,550 --> 00:15:08,910 vital for ending a terrible war. 195 00:15:10,830 --> 00:15:15,490 The spud legs were the vital component that made Sir Bruce Gordon White's 196 00:15:15,490 --> 00:15:17,070 Mulberry Harbors possible. 197 00:15:20,490 --> 00:15:25,850 These big concrete blocks behind me were floating pontoons on which a steel 198 00:15:25,850 --> 00:15:31,190 roadway led out from the beach to the deeper water so that the ships could 199 00:15:31,190 --> 00:15:34,810 unload their tanks and they could drive right onto the beach. 200 00:15:37,090 --> 00:15:39,010 Creating a floating pier is one thing. 201 00:15:39,450 --> 00:15:43,430 but anchoring it securely in tidal waters and making sure it's stable 202 00:15:43,430 --> 00:15:45,450 carry a tank is a whole other ballgame. 203 00:15:46,170 --> 00:15:50,910 The engineers building the London Array need a solid, stable platform to work 204 00:15:50,910 --> 00:15:55,530 from. Gordon White needed something similar in order to safely land trucks 205 00:15:55,530 --> 00:15:56,530 tanks. 206 00:15:56,850 --> 00:15:59,350 This simple platform illustrates the problem. 207 00:15:59,690 --> 00:16:04,870 In normal conditions, it's fine, but if you've got rough seas, then actually 208 00:16:04,870 --> 00:16:05,970 it's very unstable. 209 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:11,340 It will swing violently from side to side, potentially damaging the roadway. 210 00:16:11,340 --> 00:16:12,380 it needs to be anchored. 211 00:16:13,060 --> 00:16:17,760 Now the problem is, if you have a fixed anchor, as the tide comes up, the 212 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:19,600 platform itself starts to sink. 213 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:26,320 Surviving the seas required a special solution, and the answer was movable 214 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,060 mechanical legs, which allow the pontoon to go up and down. 215 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:34,740 These four legs help the platform remain stable. 216 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:39,420 They weren't driven into the ground, but rather the ends just sat on the surface 217 00:16:39,420 --> 00:16:40,420 of the seabed. 218 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:45,760 Now the weight of the platform connected by these chains is forcing the legs 219 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:47,700 down, and that acts as an anchor. 220 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,420 Not only did the legs prevent the platform moving from side to side, but 221 00:16:52,420 --> 00:16:57,060 tension in the cable could also be adjusted to rise and lower with the 222 00:16:57,060 --> 00:16:57,819 the tide. 223 00:16:57,820 --> 00:16:59,180 Just a brilliant idea. 224 00:17:03,470 --> 00:17:09,550 Thanks to inventive engineering, over 2 million men were landed alongside 500 225 00:17:09,550 --> 00:17:13,210 ,000 vehicles and almost 4 .5 million tons of goods. 226 00:17:17,130 --> 00:17:21,670 The remains of this remarkable invention may be hidden in these French waters, 227 00:17:21,869 --> 00:17:24,790 but it has inspired engineers around the world. 228 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,320 The spuds were an ingenious solution for Normandy's shores. 229 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:45,060 But how could movable legs be used to construct a wind farm in the middle of 230 00:17:45,060 --> 00:17:46,060 North Sea? 231 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,540 The answer lies in an extraordinary vessel. 232 00:17:52,740 --> 00:17:54,360 This is MPI Discovery. 233 00:17:58,380 --> 00:18:01,460 20 ,000 tons of hydraulic muscle. 234 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,080 At the time of London Array, she was the fastest. 235 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,860 Had the highest lift, had the fastest turnover rate in the world. 236 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:17,100 These ships were pretty much designed with the London Array project in mind. 237 00:18:19,060 --> 00:18:23,660 Discovery can construct the seemingly impossible thanks to a mind -blowing 238 00:18:23,660 --> 00:18:24,660 metamorphosis. 239 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:31,060 From ship to offshore building platform in a matter of hours. 240 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,880 Experiencing this jack -up ship in action is a unique experience for 241 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:39,880 Nick Coville. 242 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:45,260 When you're slightly pitching and rolling as you do at sea, the legs 243 00:18:45,260 --> 00:18:48,140 seabed, everything stops and you become a platform. 244 00:18:49,660 --> 00:18:54,060 Like a supersized version of Bruce Gordon White's solution for the Normandy 245 00:18:54,060 --> 00:18:55,060 invasion, 246 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:00,780 MPI Discovery uses giant legs to act like a table sitting on the seabed. 247 00:19:05,130 --> 00:19:06,690 The rear delt has six legs. 248 00:19:07,270 --> 00:19:11,150 From the bottom of the keel to the top of the leg is about 75 meters. 249 00:19:11,870 --> 00:19:16,430 You can see here they're probably about four or five inches of steel. 250 00:19:17,830 --> 00:19:23,490 The British Army's spud legs were winched, but discoveries rely on 251 00:19:23,910 --> 00:19:28,710 Each leg is jacked up by eight huge cylinders, with every vertical movement 252 00:19:28,710 --> 00:19:30,970 secured by a massive pinning system. 253 00:19:32,490 --> 00:19:36,690 Each one of these cylinders is capable of lifting 500 tonnes. 254 00:19:37,530 --> 00:19:43,670 You have two cylinders here that go to a single yoke, and you have a pin that 255 00:19:43,670 --> 00:19:48,910 withdraws. The yoke comes down, the pin goes in, and then the leg is either 256 00:19:48,910 --> 00:19:53,630 raised or lowered, depending on whether we're recovering the leg or driving them 257 00:19:53,630 --> 00:19:54,630 into the seabed. 258 00:19:54,890 --> 00:19:59,470 The system here is capable of lifting 24 ,000 tonnes of ship. 259 00:20:00,140 --> 00:20:04,240 all the components for eight turbines completely clear of the water. 260 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:11,340 This ship can remain stable in depths of up to 130 feet. 261 00:20:12,540 --> 00:20:17,100 But in order to assemble the component parts for the wind turbines, it needs 262 00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:18,280 even more muscle. 263 00:20:36,490 --> 00:20:41,770 Thanks to the inspired engineering behind Bruce Gordon White's spud legs, 264 00:20:41,770 --> 00:20:46,030 Discovery can provide a stable base for the complicated process of constructing 265 00:20:46,030 --> 00:20:48,090 a record -breaking wind farm at sea. 266 00:20:48,290 --> 00:20:50,710 But Discovery can't do the building itself. 267 00:20:50,970 --> 00:20:55,530 The team needs another mechanical giant to assemble the enormous turbines that 268 00:20:55,530 --> 00:20:58,870 turn the North Sea's wind into massive amounts of electricity. 269 00:21:00,330 --> 00:21:02,850 So here we have a 1 ,000 -ton crane. 270 00:21:03,590 --> 00:21:05,190 A unique piece of equipment. 271 00:21:05,530 --> 00:21:10,510 There was no other crane available that was so compact that had such a lifting 272 00:21:10,510 --> 00:21:11,510 capacity. 273 00:21:11,970 --> 00:21:16,550 This mega machine can assemble the superstructure of an entire turbine. 274 00:21:18,990 --> 00:21:24,710 First, a hydraulic hammer is used to drive a giant 18 -foot diameter steel 275 00:21:24,710 --> 00:21:31,650 which can weigh up to 715 tons to depths of up to 223 feet below the seabed. 276 00:21:32,010 --> 00:21:37,090 This holds in place a yellow transition piece, which can be up to 92 feet high. 277 00:21:37,730 --> 00:21:39,850 Next, the main tower is added. 278 00:21:40,590 --> 00:21:46,750 Topped off by the nacelle and hub, three 190 -foot -long blades complete each 279 00:21:46,750 --> 00:21:48,650 530 -ton structure. 280 00:21:52,370 --> 00:21:56,470 Amazingly, eight turbines can be transported and built on a single 281 00:21:59,180 --> 00:22:03,720 that we have such a vast deck space is basically because of the size of the 282 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:08,480 turbine components. The nacelles are the size of two or three double -decker 283 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:10,920 buses. We have eight of them at the centre of the ship. 284 00:22:11,180 --> 00:22:15,620 The blades run across the vessel, going actually over the side by about 30 285 00:22:15,620 --> 00:22:16,620 metres. 286 00:22:17,070 --> 00:22:21,090 My first day as captain, the London Array team told me that I must not roll 287 00:22:21,090 --> 00:22:24,290 ship more than a certain amount, otherwise the blades will go in the 288 00:22:24,290 --> 00:22:28,430 get damaged. And I was thinking to myself, what have I let myself in for 289 00:22:28,430 --> 00:22:29,430 really? 290 00:22:29,710 --> 00:22:33,530 But the wind turbines themselves are just the start of this impossible 291 00:22:33,530 --> 00:22:34,530 engineering feat. 292 00:22:37,690 --> 00:22:43,150 Each turbine forms part of a 124 -mile network, converging at one of the two 293 00:22:43,150 --> 00:22:45,110 gigantic offshore substations. 294 00:22:48,020 --> 00:22:52,860 These perform a vital role, boosting the voltage produced by the turbines before 295 00:22:52,860 --> 00:22:54,100 sending it to the mainland. 296 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,580 So there behind me you can see one of the two London Ray substations. 297 00:22:59,300 --> 00:23:01,720 These structures are critical to the operation of the London Ray. 298 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,300 All of the energy that's produced passes through one of these two substations. 299 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:09,760 They perform a critical function in increasing the voltage from 33 ,000 300 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:13,820 150 ,000 volts in order to minimize the losses as the energy transitions on its 301 00:23:13,820 --> 00:23:15,600 long journey back ashore. 302 00:23:18,670 --> 00:23:23,610 Four huge cables over 30 miles long are needed to complete this final lay. 303 00:23:25,850 --> 00:23:30,670 Each weighing nearly 5 ,000 tons, they're floated towards the Kent 304 00:23:30,670 --> 00:23:36,910 and then sunk to the seabed as they finally converge at Cleve Hill onshore 305 00:23:36,910 --> 00:23:37,910 substation. 306 00:23:40,650 --> 00:23:44,930 This is where the 630 megawatts of energy produced by the London Array 307 00:23:44,930 --> 00:23:48,390 Wind Farm, out there, comes ashore on the North Kent coast. 308 00:23:48,750 --> 00:23:55,190 The four large cables come through this field and then joins the UK national 309 00:23:55,190 --> 00:23:56,190 grid. 310 00:24:02,210 --> 00:24:06,290 Harnessing the elements to create colossal amounts of electricity is an 311 00:24:06,290 --> 00:24:07,290 engineering triumph. 312 00:24:07,980 --> 00:24:10,540 But there is such a thing as too much wind. 313 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:20,520 The turbines must be able to stand up to a battering from the brutal storms that 314 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,120 afflict this dangerous sea. 315 00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:27,540 Our turbines are 12 miles out at sea. 316 00:24:27,820 --> 00:24:33,140 We encounter all sorts of weather, from rough sea, high wind, to extreme 317 00:24:33,140 --> 00:24:34,320 hailstones and rain. 318 00:24:35,370 --> 00:24:39,370 The turbines can operate quite safely into wind speeds of up to 50 miles an 319 00:24:39,370 --> 00:24:43,350 hour. Beyond 50 miles an hour, the turbine needs to be able to protect 320 00:24:44,430 --> 00:24:48,330 One of the challenges that the team who designed the turbine had to overcome was 321 00:24:48,330 --> 00:24:52,090 finding ways of being able to allow the turbine to protect itself in extreme 322 00:24:52,090 --> 00:24:53,090 weather conditions. 323 00:24:54,290 --> 00:24:58,850 So when the extreme weather hits and wind speeds reach 50 miles per hour, 324 00:24:59,350 --> 00:25:03,640 exposed to the North Sea's punishing conditions, How can these vital mega 325 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,580 -machines survive the very elements they're trying to harness? 326 00:25:13,980 --> 00:25:18,760 Deep in the Danish countryside is an extraordinary structure that Dr. Tufay 327 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:19,760 Gochman is scaling. 328 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:24,600 And it might hold the key to weatherproofing the London Array. 329 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:34,980 It's 54 meters off the ground right now. 330 00:25:35,220 --> 00:25:39,500 And this 2 megawatt design machine has been operating at this very spot for the 331 00:25:39,500 --> 00:25:40,800 passing 40 years. 332 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:45,260 That is by far the longest operational time for any wind turbines in the world. 333 00:25:45,980 --> 00:25:47,500 And it has a beautiful view. 334 00:25:51,620 --> 00:25:57,300 In 1978, the giant Tevincraft dwarfed all wind turbines before it. 335 00:25:58,350 --> 00:26:04,010 To date, its 88 -foot -long blades have completed over 120 million revolutions. 336 00:26:06,090 --> 00:26:09,470 It has produced more than 21 million kilowatt hours. 337 00:26:09,710 --> 00:26:13,770 To put that into perspective, that kind of production could power up the entire 338 00:26:13,770 --> 00:26:15,790 New York City for more than three years. 339 00:26:17,650 --> 00:26:22,410 This innovation would prove invaluable to the designers of the London Array. 340 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:45,960 The London Array produces enough clean energy to power half a million houses 341 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:46,960 every year. 342 00:26:47,020 --> 00:26:51,100 And the engineers behind this groundbreaking wind farm owe it in part 343 00:26:51,100 --> 00:26:53,420 unlikely group of visionaries from the past. 344 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,960 In the 1970s, the world was gripped by an oil crisis. 345 00:26:58,620 --> 00:26:59,840 Denmark was no exception. 346 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:05,740 So a group of radical teachers set up a collective, promoting the country's 347 00:27:05,740 --> 00:27:08,240 strong winds as a viable energy alternative. 348 00:27:11,180 --> 00:27:15,760 On a farmland plot called Tevind, they mobilized hundreds of volunteers, 349 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:19,360 building the seemingly impossible with little financial backing. 350 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:27,220 What I really love about the TwinCraft turbine is how many secondhand 351 00:27:27,220 --> 00:27:28,640 you can find here in the nacelle. 352 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,920 For example, this main drive shaft over here is from an oil tanker, and this 353 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:37,500 gearbox right here is from a copper mine, and the generator is from a paper 354 00:27:37,500 --> 00:27:38,500 factory from Sweden. 355 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:45,440 But as at the London Array, the sheer scale of Tevincraft posed enormous 356 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:51,240 challenges. No manufacturer could be found to construct the 88 -foot blades, 357 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:55,660 the collective took matters into their own hands, breaking the mold of blade 358 00:27:55,660 --> 00:27:59,780 design. They're not made of metal, which was popular at the time, but they're 359 00:27:59,780 --> 00:28:02,400 made of glass fibers, which give them a lot of flexibility. 360 00:28:03,500 --> 00:28:08,440 Designed to withstand a hurricane, the massive blades can flex almost five feet 361 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:09,440 in either direction. 362 00:28:10,990 --> 00:28:14,670 But this rotor has another ingenious way of dealing with wind. 363 00:28:16,470 --> 00:28:20,850 Arguably, the most important innovation of TwinCraft is actually being able to 364 00:28:20,850 --> 00:28:21,850 pitch the blades. 365 00:28:22,030 --> 00:28:27,690 To maximize efficiency, pitching oriented TwinCraft's blades at various 366 00:28:27,690 --> 00:28:28,690 to the wind. 367 00:28:29,130 --> 00:28:31,770 I have this little version of TwinCraft with me here. 368 00:28:31,970 --> 00:28:35,650 We have the blades pitched to the ultimate efficiency position already. 369 00:28:35,970 --> 00:28:37,550 We will give it some steady wind. 370 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:41,860 And then get a reading out of that. 371 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:46,240 So right now, my little twin is producing about 0 .15 volts. 372 00:28:47,340 --> 00:28:51,800 But if the angle of the blades is turned to a less efficient position... We are 373 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:54,300 actually adjusting them approximately half the way. 374 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:59,840 We can already see that it's rotating a lot slower. 375 00:29:00,180 --> 00:29:03,580 And the reading I have is actually around 0 .7. 376 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,020 But pitching can have an even more dramatic effect. 377 00:29:09,710 --> 00:29:13,190 I'm changing their angle so that they will face the wind almost entirely, 378 00:29:13,670 --> 00:29:17,530 eliminating the lift that is created by the turbine light. 379 00:29:18,430 --> 00:29:23,470 And when I take my hands up, no more rotation. 380 00:29:26,850 --> 00:29:31,750 The Twincraft Collective had engineered a truly adaptable turbine that could 381 00:29:31,750 --> 00:29:35,510 safely survive a storm and maximize energy in a steady breeze. 382 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,240 From these humble beginnings, it wouldn't be long before the commercial 383 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:42,240 took notice. 384 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:49,380 In the 1980s, around 700 Danish -built turbines were ordered for a site in 385 00:29:49,380 --> 00:29:53,560 California that would eventually become the world -famous Tehachapi Pass Wind 386 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:57,880 Farm and spell the start of the Californian Wind Rush. 387 00:30:12,590 --> 00:30:17,970 At 190 feet long, the blades of London Array's turbines are twice the size of 388 00:30:17,970 --> 00:30:22,750 Twincraft. But incredibly, they're able to maneuver in the same way. 389 00:30:24,910 --> 00:30:28,550 Engineer Ed Hall has special access to take a closer look. 390 00:30:29,590 --> 00:30:32,170 The blades on these wind turbines can pitch. 391 00:30:33,170 --> 00:30:37,970 The advantage of pitching the blades is to allow variable speed production. 392 00:30:38,370 --> 00:30:41,570 A greater amount of energy can be captured at lower wind speeds. 393 00:30:42,700 --> 00:30:46,940 And in terms of also providing a safety function for stopping as well, it's 394 00:30:46,940 --> 00:30:50,440 important that the pitch system can pitch the blades out quickly if the 395 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:51,440 needs to stop. 396 00:30:52,620 --> 00:30:56,760 These intelligent blades are even able to angle to the optimum position 397 00:30:56,760 --> 00:31:02,640 automatically, thanks to a clever onboard computer which operates the 398 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:03,640 hydraulics. 399 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:09,560 One of the special things we can do is change the pitch angle right now, 400 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:10,740 on different areas of the blade. 401 00:31:13,580 --> 00:31:16,160 So as you can see, the pitch angle moves relatively quickly. 402 00:31:16,580 --> 00:31:18,420 All the blades can move independently, 403 00:31:19,500 --> 00:31:23,300 continually changing the angle to optimize itself for the wind conditions. 404 00:31:25,020 --> 00:31:29,840 The blades themselves are molded from a single piece of fiberglass, making them 405 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:31,340 lightweight but super strong. 406 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:36,980 The circular base of each one is bolted onto one of three connection points on 407 00:31:36,980 --> 00:31:37,980 the nose of the turbine. 408 00:31:39,340 --> 00:31:43,040 A 10 -foot -high fiberglass dome known as the hub. 409 00:31:44,590 --> 00:31:46,770 So right now we're in the hub of the turbine. 410 00:31:47,010 --> 00:31:50,730 So this is right at the front of the machine between the blades and 90 meters 411 00:31:50,730 --> 00:31:51,730 above sea level. 412 00:31:51,830 --> 00:31:56,170 Here we can see the three blades bolted on here, here and here. 413 00:31:57,210 --> 00:32:01,590 The benefit of having a single piece design is so there's no jointed 414 00:32:01,590 --> 00:32:05,310 connections, which have historically in the industry been the weakest point of 415 00:32:05,310 --> 00:32:06,310 blades in their design. 416 00:32:06,550 --> 00:32:11,090 So to have it molded in a single piece is really key in the technology 417 00:32:11,090 --> 00:32:12,090 development. 418 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:15,640 Inside the blade is actually hollow. 419 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:19,360 You can get inside and move along it and walk inside it. It's that large. 420 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:25,700 This is the evolution of a number of years to 30 years' development of wind 421 00:32:25,700 --> 00:32:26,700 turbine blade design. 422 00:32:28,900 --> 00:32:34,060 London Array is so efficient, its annual contribution to the reduction of CO2 423 00:32:34,060 --> 00:32:39,300 emissions is the equivalent to taking around 290 ,000 cars off the road. 424 00:32:45,550 --> 00:32:50,590 But with the pressure on to produce even more power, how can engineers here take 425 00:32:50,590 --> 00:32:51,590 it to the max? 426 00:32:52,430 --> 00:32:56,330 Wind is a free fuel, so it's still about getting the most out of it that you 427 00:32:56,330 --> 00:32:57,129 possibly can. 428 00:32:57,130 --> 00:32:59,850 It's impossible engineering in the extreme. 429 00:33:00,370 --> 00:33:02,630 So can they rise to the challenge? 430 00:33:23,110 --> 00:33:29,690 In 2013, the vast London array rose out of the North Sea, delivering 431 00:33:29,690 --> 00:33:33,630 more energy in a single month than any offshore farm before it. 432 00:33:34,630 --> 00:33:38,690 Nothing on this scale had been done before, so it was a real step change in 433 00:33:38,690 --> 00:33:42,310 terms of the real size and capacity and the challenges faced. 434 00:33:45,090 --> 00:33:51,190 Spread over 38 square miles, the 175 turbines are arranged in a giant grid. 435 00:33:51,710 --> 00:33:55,010 to capture the North Sea's prevailing southwesterly winds. 436 00:33:58,670 --> 00:34:03,470 Each turbine is computer controlled, with all data sent back to the control 437 00:34:03,470 --> 00:34:04,470 on the mainland. 438 00:34:08,250 --> 00:34:11,210 This is the London Array Operations Control Room. 439 00:34:11,690 --> 00:34:15,350 This is the nerve center for controlling all operations that happen on a daily 440 00:34:15,350 --> 00:34:20,670 basis. We're looking at the performance for the previous month. The table of 441 00:34:20,670 --> 00:34:23,810 information there in the centre of the screen is given an indication that we 442 00:34:23,810 --> 00:34:27,250 would have hoped to produce about 192 ,000 megawatt hours. 443 00:34:27,469 --> 00:34:33,110 We actually produced 208 ,000, so we produced more than budget, which is, 444 00:34:33,230 --> 00:34:36,850 a very nice feeling, and is generally, as a result of the wind, blowing rather 445 00:34:36,850 --> 00:34:37,850 more than expected. 446 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:42,940 The future is going to be much larger wind farms, much further offshore with 447 00:34:42,940 --> 00:34:43,940 much larger turbines. 448 00:34:44,199 --> 00:34:47,840 So the future is looking very rosy indeed for offshore wind. 449 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:56,040 But to stay at the cutting edge of this new technology, the challenge for this 450 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:59,180 ambitious team is to maximize the array's potential. 451 00:35:01,660 --> 00:35:05,580 It's all about coming up with new ways to really optimize the efficiency. 452 00:35:06,250 --> 00:35:10,390 So when the wind is blowing, we're able to capture all the energy that we 453 00:35:10,390 --> 00:35:11,390 possibly can. 454 00:35:11,510 --> 00:35:14,830 But how is it possible to boost the power of the array? 455 00:35:15,150 --> 00:35:20,490 To unlock the secret, its engineers, in their quest for kilovolts, must turn to 456 00:35:20,490 --> 00:35:21,710 an unlikely source. 457 00:35:29,810 --> 00:35:34,710 Britain's Silverstone is home to a high -octane sport where performance is 458 00:35:34,710 --> 00:35:35,710 everything. 459 00:35:40,970 --> 00:35:42,210 But engineer Dr. 460 00:35:42,470 --> 00:35:46,830 Aisling O 'Kane is finding out that despite the huge horsepower on display 461 00:35:46,830 --> 00:35:47,830 the classic meat. 462 00:35:48,330 --> 00:35:51,790 It's amazing to be close to this speed and this power. 463 00:35:53,050 --> 00:35:56,890 A secret to splashing lap times is surprisingly small. 464 00:36:00,050 --> 00:36:03,010 And was invented over 40 years ago. 465 00:36:05,190 --> 00:36:09,430 Created by American racing legend and engineer Dan Gurney. 466 00:36:10,780 --> 00:36:16,440 In 1971, his all -American team car was struggling with performance, lacking the 467 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:21,620 edge to be an Indy 500 contender, until Gurney bolted on an addition to its 468 00:36:21,620 --> 00:36:22,620 wing. 469 00:36:26,380 --> 00:36:28,300 Here it is, the Gurney flap. 470 00:36:28,700 --> 00:36:32,260 Small piece of engineering, massive difference to downforce. 471 00:36:33,300 --> 00:36:38,620 And Gurney had happened upon, in his garage, a significant feat. 472 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:41,800 that even the aerospace engineers hadn't come across. 473 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:46,840 It might not look impressive, but this tiny detailing has a big effect on 474 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:51,260 turbulent air, known as vortices, formed at the airfoil's trailing edge. 475 00:36:51,720 --> 00:36:56,020 On a normal airfoil, there are two vortices that come out and meet in the 476 00:36:56,020 --> 00:37:00,480 middle. But the addition of the gurney flap, that changes these vortices in a 477 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:01,520 very significant way. 478 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:06,820 The flap's additional height changes the point at which the streams of air 479 00:37:06,820 --> 00:37:11,300 separated by the wing reconnect, increasing the vertical deflection of 480 00:37:11,500 --> 00:37:13,020 creating greater downforce. 481 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:19,780 But how much can that minute metal addition change the aerodynamics of a 482 00:37:19,780 --> 00:37:21,900 turbine as tall as the Great Pyramid? 483 00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:28,260 When applied to 175 turbines that run all day, every day, the tiny engineering 484 00:37:28,260 --> 00:37:31,240 behind the gurney flap makes a big difference. 485 00:37:47,660 --> 00:37:52,360 It's no surprise that for the engineers behind the London Array, the largest 486 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:56,580 offshore wind farm in the world, aerodynamics are an important 487 00:37:56,880 --> 00:38:01,820 To maximize the output of these gigantic wind turbines, they must turn to an 488 00:38:01,820 --> 00:38:04,800 invention from the past, the gurney flap. 489 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:10,460 Dr. Aisling O 'Kane demonstrates how this tiny innovation packs a big punch. 490 00:38:10,860 --> 00:38:12,980 We're going to use this model airfoil. 491 00:38:14,090 --> 00:38:17,310 Put it on the scales and see how downforce is created. 492 00:38:18,350 --> 00:38:20,270 So you can see there it's zero grams. 493 00:38:20,730 --> 00:38:24,350 We're going to take our trusty instrument to create the air force. 494 00:38:25,930 --> 00:38:31,270 The air coming through is creating low pressure underneath, high pressure 495 00:38:31,410 --> 00:38:33,730 and therefore creating downforce. 496 00:38:34,470 --> 00:38:39,430 The readings here are hovering between 15 grams. 497 00:38:40,510 --> 00:38:44,380 But when a gurney flap is added, The difference is remarkable. 498 00:38:46,340 --> 00:38:47,220 Gurney's 499 00:38:47,220 --> 00:39:05,100 newly 500 00:39:05,100 --> 00:39:10,080 improved Eagle claimed seven pole positions and won an impressive four 501 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:11,080 races. 502 00:39:12,590 --> 00:39:17,170 At places like this, where there's such competition in race car driving, the 503 00:39:17,170 --> 00:39:22,250 pushing vehicles to the limits and pushing the physics involved in it, the 504 00:39:22,250 --> 00:39:25,210 impact that it had to engineering was absolutely amazing. 505 00:39:37,130 --> 00:39:41,590 But how can London Arrays engineers adapt this minuscule concept? 506 00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:44,800 to enhance the largest offshore wind farm on the planet. 507 00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:53,500 Each of the 175 turbines are supersized, but Ed Hall and his team are making 508 00:39:53,500 --> 00:39:56,460 small adjustments to evolve its blade technology. 509 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:00,640 Increasing aerodynamic efficiency on these blades, we use the number of 510 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:01,720 aerodynamic enhancements. 511 00:40:02,420 --> 00:40:06,160 It's about reducing drag and getting as much energy out of the wind as possible. 512 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:10,280 Inspired by the gurney flap. 513 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:14,880 A serrated strip is fitted along the edge near the center of the blade, 514 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:17,820 produce more lift, which makes them spin faster. 515 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:22,860 Serrated tails are also fitted to the fastest -moving part of the blade to 516 00:40:22,860 --> 00:40:24,840 reduce drag caused by turbulence. 517 00:40:29,420 --> 00:40:33,960 Add a percent or two onto the energy that we can capture from the wind. 518 00:40:34,430 --> 00:40:38,430 Doesn't sound like a lot, but when you add it up over 175 turbines here, 519 00:40:38,870 --> 00:40:41,450 operating 24 -7, then it does add up. 520 00:40:43,570 --> 00:40:48,570 In this offshore world of mammoth engineering, it's the smallest details 521 00:40:48,570 --> 00:40:50,010 can make the biggest difference. 522 00:40:51,950 --> 00:40:55,870 Using different elements of engineering to really maximize the amount of energy 523 00:40:55,870 --> 00:40:57,890 that's captured from the wind is really exciting. 524 00:40:58,750 --> 00:41:02,570 Wind is a free fuel, so it's still about getting the most out of it that we 525 00:41:02,570 --> 00:41:03,570 possibly can. 526 00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:09,140 These final modifications to the blades are the finishing touches to one of the 527 00:41:09,140 --> 00:41:12,100 world's most advanced maritime feats of engineering. 528 00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:27,180 Through design and innovation, London Array is changing the face of energy 529 00:41:27,180 --> 00:41:28,180 production. 530 00:41:29,100 --> 00:41:32,780 Being part of the largest offshore wind farm in the world, it's a privilege, 531 00:41:33,140 --> 00:41:34,140 it's unbelievable. 532 00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:35,480 It's a great incentive achievement. 533 00:41:36,300 --> 00:41:40,380 This groundbreaking wind farm is paving the way for the future. 534 00:41:41,700 --> 00:41:46,880 Every time I come offshore and look at these amazing structures, I'm always 535 00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:49,520 impressed in the same way as I was the first time I saw them. 536 00:41:49,900 --> 00:41:54,640 I see a scale and beauty of something that's generating so much power from an 537 00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:56,000 infinitely renewable resource. 538 00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:03,320 By drawing from pioneers of the past and pushing the boundaries of innovation, 539 00:42:03,740 --> 00:42:08,820 The engineers behind London Array are succeeding in making the impossible 540 00:42:08,820 --> 00:42:09,820 possible. 541 00:42:11,220 --> 00:42:13,100 It is phenomenal. 542 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:17,420 And thinking back as the maths and science kid at the back of the class, I 543 00:42:17,420 --> 00:42:20,020 have given my right arm for this opportunity, I have to say. 544 00:42:20,070 --> 00:42:24,620 Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0 51522

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