GE (NYSE: GE) announced plans to install up to five offshore demonstration wind turbines through two separate European partnerships.
Both initiatives will feature the largest wind turbine in GE’s fleet, a 4.0-megawatt (MW) machine that includes a 110 meter rotor. GE’s 4.0-110 incorporates advanced drive train and control technologies that eliminate the need for gearboxes.
GE has signed a cooperation agreement with Norwegian energy companies Statoil (NYSE: STO) and Lyse to jointly carry out technical and environmental feasibility studies for building an offshore wind demonstration project in Rogaland County, off the southwest coast of Norway. The agreement includes the installation of up to four 4.0-MW offshore, direct drive wind turbines. Subject to successful completion of the feasibility studies and the appropriate investment and funding decisions, the installation of the wind turbines will start in 2012.
GE is also planning an onshore installation of its direct drive machine in 2011. The machine, designed specifically for the offshore environment, will be erected in Gothenburg Harbor in Sweden in cooperation with Gothenburg Energy.
Victor Abate, vice president of GE Power & Water’s Renewable Energy business, said the demonstration projects mark the beginning of the next phase in development of GE’s offshore wind technology. GE acquired the direct drive technology in August 2009 from Norway’s Scanwind.
GE has already established itself as a leader in land-based wind turbines with more than 14,000 installed worldwide.
The company recently signaled its commitment to the European offshore wind sector, announcing plans to invest approximately €340 million to develop or expand its offshore wind turbine manufacturing and service facilities in four European countries—the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway and Sweden.
According to a recent Emerging Energy Research (EER) market study, the installed base of offshore wind grew from 70 MW to 1.5 gigawatts (GW) over the past eight years. EER expects that total to rise to nearly 45 GW by 2020. Much of that growth is expected to occur in Europe, particularly in the UK, where the government has launched a program for a massive expansion of offshore wind energy. The country is currently working towards a third round of offshore wind farm developments.
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