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£25m investment for Offshore Wind Power

The UK’s offshore wind industry has received a £25 million investment boost from the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI)

The new open access wind turbine test rig will be situated at Narec in Blyth, and is set to help expansion plans in this sector by providing a facility for testing drive trains and nacelles up to 15 MW.

The site will be available for commercial testing by 2013, and by 2014 the first proposed offshore demonstration facilities will be in place.

It is hoped that the new facility will enable OEMs to demonstrate their improved performance and reliability, helping them to grow in confidence within the sector and meet the governments’ climate change targets.

Andrew Mill, CEO of Narec, said: “This terrific news is the culmination of nearly 3 years of work on the project, where we have identified industry requirements for such a facility and then gathered the necessary support to make it a reality for the UK.

“Narec is looking forward to working with the appointed consortium to deliver a world leading asset which will generate a substantial return for the UK economy by assisting the acceleration of the deployment of large scale offshore wind technology.

Along with the ETI investment which will go towards the design, development and commissioning of the offshore testing rig, One North East have also made an investment of £10 million for the building to house it.

Alan Clarke, One North East Chief Executive said: “The development of the Fujin Test rig will be a major addition to Narec’s existing facilities and cement the North East’s position at the forefront of the UK’s offshore wind industry, bringing new jobs and investment to the region.

“This legacy will allow Narec to offer the full package of offshore and tidal facilities and ensure the North East plays a key role in the development of the UK manufacturing industry.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .