Wind Energy Planning

A new wind turbine blade test facility is planned for Blyth in the north east of England it was announced by R& D company Nirec today.

The £15 million ($24m) facility will test new turbine blade designs before they are used in offshore wind farms. The wind turbine blades to be tested will be up to 100 metres in length.

Narec are providers of R&D, consultancy, test and demonstration facilities for the renewable energy sector. The blade test centre will be the biggest of its type in the world, expanding the existing testing capability developed over the last five years at Blyth.

The expansion of the centre is being funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Department for Energy and Climate Change (£11.5m / $19m) and Regional Development Agency One North East (£3.5m/ $5.7m).

Narec CEO Andrew Mill said: “This funding comes in timely response to calls for improved facilities from project developers and manufacturers who urgently need to validate and improve the future reliability of next generation prototype machines, before they are rolled out in their hundreds under Crown Estate Round 3 plans.

“Future wind turbine blades are predicted to increase to up to 100m in length and will utilise new materials, for deployment offshore in the UK over the next ten years and beyond, so it is absolutely vital for the industry that there are suitable facilities in the UK. In order to provide insights into the likely performance of such blades under hostile operational load, there will be an increased level of sophistication in the types of tests to be performed.

We are delighted that the Government has recognised our achievements to date and has invested in Narec to further develop our world-leading offering. This will allow us to keep pace with global market needs and continue in helping to inform and pave the way for manufacturers looking to invest in the UK.”

Margaret Fay, Chairman of One North East, said: “This world-leading new facility will be a major attraction for companies deciding where to develop offshore wind. It builds on significant long-term investment already made by One North East in renewable energy and in the wider low carbon sector, which have the potential to create thousands of jobs for our region.”

The UK offshore wind energy market is continuing to ride a rocky road with Eon’s Scarweather Sands project put on ice last week. With marginal finances, its future is in the hands of the government and a few big companies with a brave appetite.