United plan for new, offshore wind test plant

- Norway is still in the lead internationally in the area of offshore floating wind turbines, states Per Finden, Department Head at IFE. But he adds that sustained pressure is necessary to avoid losing this position. This is why realising the planned infrastructure is so decisive.

The three centres are collaborating closely, and share a vision that they with an interdisciplinary approach will enhance innovative and cost-efficient solutions for offshore wind power. In this respect the new test plant will signify a substantial contribution. The project has so far been granted 66 million NOK by the Research Council of Norway (RCN) to parts of the concept. Still, the research centres have not abandoned the thought of realising the plan in full, including a bird radar. The test plant will form part of the national “Roadmap for research infrastructure” that is currently being drawn up by RCN.

Illustration of the planned offshore test plant. Three centres for environment-friendly energy research are behind the plan, which includes a wind observatory, a bird radar, and a floating test turbine.

Tripartite concept
The plan consists of three main parts, where each of the research centres have the responsibility for its respective part. Firstly, the plan comprises a 60 metres floating wind turbine, with 30 metres over and 30 metres under water. The turbine has 225 kW effect and will be operated by NOWITECH where IFE is among the partners. This part of the project has been granted 45 million NOK by RCN. In addition to this, another 21 million NOK has been granted to finance an offshore wind observatory with NORCOWE as main responsible. Work is still going on to finance the planned offshore bird radar, which CEDREN will be in charge of.

What distinguishes this test plant from other floating test turbines, like Hywind, is among other things the size and ownership. The planned infrastructure is smaller in scale, making it cheaper to run experiments.

- The wind turbine is 225 kW, about 1/10th of Hywind’s size (2,3 megawatt). All costs related to constructing and maintaining this turbine will be correspondingly cheaper, says Finden.

Hywind is Statoil and Siemens' floating test turbine,
and measures almost 200 metres from top to bottom.
Photo: Hild Bjelland Vik, Statoil.

- This test turbine will be exposed to extreme stress, and maintenance will be much easier to perform on this, smaller scale turbine. Only a few cranes are available worldwide that can raise Hywind, which measures nearly 200 metres from top to bottom. Also, there is the question of ownership. Statoil and Siemens own Hywind. The research centres working with focus on offshore wind need a floating test turbine they can use freely for their own experiments and get access to a range of data, as well as complete control over and insight into i. a. instrumentation, adds Finden.

Progress
In these days of June/July ’10 contract negotiations and discussions regarding details in the project are in progress. A deadline is set August 31st. Still a lot of questions remain open, such as where the plant will be situated.

- Currently we are working at establishing a company that will own the infrastructure, as well as writing a detailed budget. We will seek a solution for the ownership where our test plant for wind power, VIVA as (www.vivawind.no) at Valneset, will be expanded with 3-4 new owners. After the summer vacation we will start projecting the equipment, and next year construction of the different parts will begin. We estimate the installations will be ready to tow out in the summer of 2012. A Project Manager responsible for the progress will also be engaged.

IFE’s wind power community in growth

- We have noticed an increased attention to offshore wind power lately, simultaneously as the ongoing debate about Mongstad, carbon capture and cleaning technology. Personally I am of the opinion that we need to focus on both approaches, affirms Finden.

- The NOWITECH centre is currently recruiting 18 new PhDs of which three are within IFE’s area of expertise: aerodynamics and modelling. We are hoping to get two to three scholarships holders to IFE in the course of next year. With a staff of six permanent employees we are approaching a group of ten wind power researchers at IFE, which is good! says Finden.

If the group continues to grow at the same pace he does not exclude wind power in time forming a department of its own at IFE.

Facts about offshore wind power

• A full-scale, commercial, floating offshore wind turbine has yet to be constructed.
• Estimated time frame for when commercial, full-scale offshore floating wind turbines will be available is 5-10 years.
• In Norway two centres for environment-friendly energy research in the area of offshore wind power have been established: NORCOWE and NOWITECH.
• NORCOWE – Norwegian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy. Project host: Christian Michelsen Research. Focus areas within offshore wind power are meteorology, wind, waves and ocean currents at deep sea.
• NOWITECH – Norwegian Research Centre for Offshore Wind Technology (Project host: Sintef, partners: IFE, NTNU and more). Work related to offshore wind turbines, both floaters and fixed-bottom technologies, but with the strongest focus on floating constructions.
• CEDREN – Centre for Environmental Design of Renewable Energy. Project host: NINA (The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research). The centre studies environmental effects from renewable energy, and will be in charge of the bird radar in the planned project.

Picture of VIVA as' test turbine at Valneset. IFE has been central in developing this test turbine, and the planned offshore wind turbine will be in the same scale as this one.