A DWPS can also be configured with 500 to 1000 MW of wind turbines, and the same 400 MW expander as the 'peak-wind' plant discussed above, to produce electricity at a constant 400 MW. This configuration is optimized for transmission use. The DWPS 'base-wind' plant will be able to produce full nameplate capacity power 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and compete favorably with coal, nuclear, and hydro baseload plants.
In windy areas with little local load, such as large parts of Canada, the Upper Midwest of the United States, the Texas Panhandle, Northwest China, Patagonia, Northern Europe, and Ireland and Scotland, a DWPS configured as a baseload plant capable of producing 400 MW around the clock, regardless of the current state of the wind, will enable a transmission line to be used at its full rated capacity, and will allow wind power to be economically transmitted from the resource to the load.
For all of these reasons, DWPS windfarms configured as 'base-wind' plants can compete with coal in areas with strong wind resources. Compared to coal and nuclear, 'base-wind' can provide:
- longer-term (e.g., 20 year) power contracts
- less expensive power
- lower fuel price risk
- lower environmental risk
- lower construction risk