New turbine blade could 'reduce the cost of energy significantly'

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), a public-private partnership designed to accelerate the development of new energy projects, has been supporting the development of the new Blade Dynamics D78 model since 2012.

The offshore blade has a modular design, which the company says will have “significant benefits in the supply chain” and will also make transportation and building more straightforward.

It has now arrived at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult centre in Blyth for structural testing.

The ETI said it had supported the new technology to “demonstrate what is possible” and because blade design had been a “limiting factor” in terms of cost and performance for offshore wind.

“Once commercialised, this technology can create a pathway to improving performance, reliability and cost for offshore wind as well as providing an exciting route for the future export of blade components from the UK,” ETI chief executive Dr David Clarke said.

“We look forward to the structural testing at ORE Catapult in the UK and are investigating ways to demonstrate a rotor using this technology on the 7MW turbine that ORE Catapult is in the process of acquiring."

Pepe Carnevale, the chief executive of Blade Dynamics, described the modular technology as a “great opportunity for the UK” that could be a “real game changer”.

“It can reduce the cost of energy very significantly, but there are also several other unique benefits,” Mr Carnevale explained.

“Because the blades are assembled from smaller components, we are not constrained by expensive new factories dependent for survival on a very limited local market, making big blades in one big factory. The technology allows the existing British composites industry - boat builders, aircraft parts manufacturers, automotive suppliers and others - to supply transportable components from the UK.

“Because these smaller components are easily shippable and assembly can be done in a simple warehouse building, blades can be assembled anywhere, with limited setup cost, in the UK or abroad. This creates an export market for blades and allows established UK companies to participate in the wind turbine blade supply chain, which is otherwise very difficult to see happening. This blade, and this technology, is a real game changer."

Simon Edmonds, a director at the Catapult Programme at Innovate UK, added: “This really is a British energy industry success story, using all of the support from government designed to nurture new technology and develop innovative energy solutions for the UK economy."