Blades spin on Bahrain World Trade Center

-- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 4/16/2008 6:23:00 AM

Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) made history last week as the turbines on this pioneering project turned together for the first time. Three 225-kW wind turbines mounted on the newly built Bahrain World Trade Center spun in unison for the first time on April 8. The achievement was a milestone for the world's first integration of utility-scale wind turbines into a building.

The three 95-ft.-diameter turbine blades on Bahrain’s iconic landmark are the first in the world to be integrated on such a scale into a commercial development. They are forecast to provide the equivalent  of 11% to 15% of the  power for the two towers when fully operational.

Atkins was commissioned to provide full architectural and building services for the twin towers, a garden court, anchor tenant, and several food outlets as well as a single-storey extension of the BWTC podium to the existing shopping mall. The site for the Bahrain World Trade Center is prestigiously located on the main King Faisal Highway in Manama, Bahrain.