The hope is that a new generation of giant offshore wind turbines can help developers meet the government’s goal of delivering offshore wind power at a cost of below £100/MWh. Tommerup is confident the new 8MW turbine can play a key role in helping to meet the target. “When we were established as a joint venture we wanted to reduce the cost of energy and we also wanted to bring competition to the market,” he says. “Bringing a new technology – not only a turbine of this size, but one that is specifically designed for offshore use – will be a big part of the journey to bringing down costs.” Turbines only make up between 30 per cent and 35 per cent of the cost of offshore wind power, but Tommerup is optimistic that by working with developers its 8MW turbine can meet the £100/MWh goal. “With this configuration we have today it is possible to reach the £100 target,” he says, adding that bringing the new turbine to market has already improved the efficiency by 30 per cent since 2012.
Business Green 20th May 2016 read more »