ORE Catapult to run EUR-4m project for offshore wind blade innovations

The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult will coordinate a EUR-4-million (USD 4.6m) research project to improve the performance of offshore wind turbine blades, the UK innovation and research centre said today.

The two-year Offshore Demonstration Blade (ODB) project is a partnership between 10 European organisations -- CENER, Bladena, TNO, Aerox, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (BME:SGRE), Total Wind, Dansk IngeniorService A/S (DIS), the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Spain's Cardenal Herrera University (CEU).

The aim of the initiative is the development and demonstration of seven novel offshore wind turbine blade technologies, including aerodynamic and structural enhancements, blade monitoring systems and blade erosion protection solutions. Together, they could reduce the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) of offshore wind by up to 4.7%, ORE Catapult said.

The innovations will be demonstrated at ORE Catapult's 7-MW Levenmouth demonstration turbine in Scotland.

The project is funded by the Demowind programme, which is supported by the EU's Horizon 2020 framework programme.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.1597)

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