This week’s news round-up features Siemens, EDF Energy Renewables, Longpark, Scottish Power Renewables, Dong Energy, Garrad Hassan, Vestas and QinetiQ.

US DOE and Siemens to collaborate on research

US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Siemens are to conduct a three-year test on a 2.3MW Siemens turbine to verify its basic characteristics and new performance-enhancing features.  NREL describes the initiative as the biggest government-industry research partnership for wind power generation ever undertaken in the US.

Siemens will contribute US$9 million and NREL US$5 million to the initial phase of the project that will study the performance and aerodynamics of large land-based turbines.

The commissioned model is fitted with a 331foot (100.8 metre) diameter rotor, mounted atop a 262 foot (89 metre) tower. The tests include a range of real-world operating regimens and severe weather conditions for studying the ground-support requirements for larger wind turbines weighing 400-800 tonnes.

UK hits 4 GW mark of installed capacity

The commissioning of three wind farms has enabled the UK to achieve the milestone of 4 GW of installed wind energy capacity. The projects include EDF Energy Renewables’ 38MW Longpark, Scottish Power Renewables’ 30 MW Dun Law extension and the first phase of Dong Energy's 173 MW Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm. 

The latest 1 GW of capacity was added in less than a year, inching the UK closer to its goal of   30 GW of installed wind energy capacity by 2020. A further 9 GW worth of schemes currently await planning approval.

There are currently 240 operating onshore wind farms in the UK, totalling 3,233 MW of onshore capacity and a further 598 MW of offshore capacity installed and operating.

Garrad Hassan to advise on Bard Offshore 1

Renewable energy consultancy Garrad Hassan is providing technical support to the German Bard Offshore 1 Wind Farm. The project is Germany’s first fully commercial offshore wind farm with 400MW of rated power.

The firm will advise the farm on wind resource, operations strategy, project availability, wind turbines, support structures, electrical systems and installation.

Garrad Hassan’s offshore specialists have been technical advisors to the project company, Ocean Breeze, since 2008 and are currently advising on potential equity (SüdWestStrom/WV) and debt providers (HVB/Unicreditgroup).

US wind industry installs 1.6 GW in Q3

The US wind industry has installed 1,649 MW of new power generating capacity in the third quarter, bringing the total capacity added this year to date to over 5,800 MW, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

The total wind power capacity now operating in the US is over 31,000 MW. The top five states in total operating wind capacity include:  Texas - 8,797 MW, Iowa - 3,053 MW, California - 2,787 MW, Minnesota - 1,805 MW,  Oregon - 1,659 MW.

The top five states in additions for new capacity added in the third quarter are: Texas - 436 MW, Oregon - 251 MW, Illinois - 201 MW, Colorado - 174 MW,  Wyoming - 170 MW.

Breakthrough in stealth turbine technology

Wind turbine maker Vestas and technology provider QinetiQ have tested their newly developed radar mitigation technology for wind turbines.

The recent trial in Norfolk involved the fitting of the prototype stealth blade onto a Vestas V90 turbine. Using a jointly designed 44m prototype turbine blade manufactured by Vestas, the technology was demonstrated at full scale for the first time at a wind farm in Norfolk, UK, as part of a programme part-funded by the UK Government Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS).

According to QinetiQ, the five-year project developed ‘Stealth Turbine’ technology to reduce the size of the radar signature made by individual turbines to the point where they can be ‘factored out’ of air traffic control and air defence systems.

Research scheduled on wind turbine radar interference

The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has confirmed a £5.15 million (US$8.3mn) fund for research on radar interference from wind turbines that will be conducted by NATS (formerly National Air Traffic Services).

The fund is made up of £1.6 million (US$2.6mn) from wind companies, £2m (US$3.3)from the Crown Estate and £1.55 million (US$2.5mn) from DECC. Aviation radar objections are one of the largest causes of wind planning applications being rejected or withdrawn in the UK including over 5GW of wind farms that are in the planning system by NATS.

The research is scheduled for completion in April 2011.

Universities receive DOE funding for research

US Department of Energy (DOE) has earmarked US$24 million for investment into research projects led by three university wind energy research facilities.

The universities, including Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Maine and University of Minnesota, have been selected to support university research and development programmes to improve land-based and offshore wind turbine performance and reliability.

The funding has been allocated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Scottish Forestry Commission seeks wind project partners 

Energy companies are being invited to form partnerships with Scotland’s Forestry Commission. The intention is to build wind energy projects at suitable locations across Scotland.

Forestry Commission Scotland manages around a 10th of Scotland’s land mass. Scotland’s forests and open land are ideal places to explore the development of windfarms and other renewable projects in a sensitive manner, says Richard Lochhead, secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment.

According to a recent report by NewEnergyFocus, up to £30 million (US$48.8mn) in revenue could be generated by building wind farms on land owned by Forestry Commission Scotland.