Giant 8-MW Turbines Picked for European Wind Testing Project

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The developer of Europe's largest planned testing centre for next generation offshore turbines and technology has picked Denmark's Vestas Wind Systems A/S (OMX:VWS) (Aarhus, Denmark) as its first preferred supplier.

The company will supply its V164-8.0 megawatt (MW) turbines--the first commercial 8-MW turbines--for the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC). Located 2-4.5 kilometres (km) off the coast of Aberdeen in Scotland, the project garnered fame in recent years for defeating numerous legal challenges by U.S. businessman and U.S. presidential candidate, Donald Trump, who complained that it would spoil the view from his proposed £750 million ($1.1 billion) Trump International Golf Links course and resort located on the Menie Estate. For additional information, see January 8, 2016, article--Donald 'Trumped' by Scottish Windfarm.

The EOWDC is being developed by Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm Limited (AOWFL), a company set up by Swedish energy company Vattenfall AB (Stockholm), Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) and Technip SA (EPA:TEC) (Paris, France). It will use 11 turbines with a combined generating capacity of up to 84 MW and be capable of producing enough power for approximately 49,000 homes. The Centre will cater for turbines ranging from four to 10 MW in size.

Adam Ezzamel, project director for the EOWDC at Vattenfall, said: "Part of this vision for the EOWDC includes installing game-changing suction bucket jacket foundations. The first stage of the procurement process opens up the wider business opportunities that the EOWDC offers with the project partners aiming to maximise project supply chain content in the Aberdeen area, Scotland and the wider U.K.."

Chair of AREG and Aberdeen City Councillor Jean Morrison, said: "The EOWDC is a crucial project for the region and for Scotland. Aberdeen is a world-class hub of innovation and this will place our region at the heart of the development of new technologies and contribute to improving the competitiveness of the offshore wind sector. It will add to our existing energy capability including the skills and infrastructure required to build a 21st Century energy industry."

Additional contracts were awarded to Boskalis (Papendrecht, Netherlands) for the construction and installation of the offshore infrastructure including the foundations and cabling, and to engineering firm Murphy Group (London) to provide the onshore substation and associated cabling work.

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