UK's ORE Catapult buys 7-MW Samsung wind demo for research

The UK's Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult has completed the acquisition of the Levenmouth next-generation 7-MW demonstration offshore wind turbine from South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries (KRX:010140), or SHI, the innovation and research centre said today.

ORE Catapult announced in July that it was in talks with SHI to buy the turbine located off the coast of Fife, Scotland for research purposes. It now said that the machine "becomes the world's most advanced, open access, offshore wind turbine dedicated to research".

In addition to expanding research programmes, the prototype turbine offers opportunities for the testing of new technologies and the development of skills and experience vital for the future of the industry and its cost-cutting efforts, notes ORE Catapult chief Andrew Jamieson.

Scottish renewable energy consultancy SgurrEnergy has been awarded the operations and maintenance contract for the turbine.

SHI completed construction of the turbine in October 2013 and the giant machine located very close to the coast became operational in March 2014.

The Levenmouth turbine complements ORE Catapult's existing facilities at its National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth, Northumberland.

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