Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult has identified two companies as preferred contractors to support the development of its new blade testing and upgraded drive train testing facilities.
Announced in May, the programme of works will keep the UK at the forefront of technology development in offshore wind, with £85.6m of capital funding from UKRI enabling the Catapult to expand and upgrade its testing facilities and enable the evolution of the next generation of wind turbines in the UK.
IDOM, a leading multinational provider of professional services in engineering and architecture, will take the lead on the construction of a new blade test facility that will offer certification testing having been designed to exceed requirements of the next edition of blade test standard IEC61400-23.
RENK Test System, a German manufacturer of high-efficiency propulsion and drive train technology systems, will lead on the installation of a new test rig at the Catapult’s drive train facility in Blyth, that will see capacity increased from 15MW to an initial 23MW.
Both blade and drive train capabilities will have the capacity for further expansion, to 180m and 28MW respectively, to meet future industry demand.
ORE Catapult’s director of technology development Tony Quinn said: “The upgrade to the our blade and drive train test and validation capabilities is a vital part of our future roadmap, a critical contribution to UK’s Net Zero and Energy Security Strategy and is much needed by the sector to facilitate a rigorous approach to wind turbine technology development.
“Following a robust procurement process, we are delighted to be working with IDOM and RENK during the pre-construction phase of this project as we work through the fine details of how to deliver two such critical projects side by side.”
(Picture is of Tom Wildsmith ORE Catapult with Jonas Reichterter of RENK, right, and Armando Bilbao Arechebala of IDOM, left)