A nacelle from GE Renewable Energy’s Haliade-X 12 MW offshore wind turbine has arrived at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s testing facility in Blyth in the UK, ahead of a testing programme designed to prepare it for operation at sea
The nacelle will undergo full indoor testing as part of an advanced technology programme, replicating real-world operational conditions.
This is the second Haliade-X nacelle to be assembled. The first, a full Haliade-X 12 MW prototype unit installed in Rotterdam produced its first kWh earlier in November.
GE Offshore Wind president and chief executive John Lavelle said, “Our Haliade-X testing programme will allow us to put different components under controlled and extreme conditions in a faster way, to adapt our technology in a shorter time while introducing new features ... It will also help reduce validation time before starting series production in 2021.”
GE Renewable Energy is investing close to £15M in testing and research and development activities on the Haliade-X in the UK.
As part of the Haliade-X testing programme, two 107-m long LM Wind Power blades have already been delivered for testing: the first one last summer to ORE Catapult facility in Blyth, and a second blade, which arrived last week at the Massachusetts’ Wind Technology Testing Center in Boston.
Both blades will also undergo a full range of testing procedures, including static and fatigue tests, that will demonstrate the blades’ ability to withstand peak wind conditions.
Speaking about the selection of the UK as a testing site for the technology, ORE Catapult chief executive Andrew Jamieson said, “Our objective is to subject the nacelle to an extremely rigorous testing programme designed to make sure it can withstand years of operation at sea. Testing these world-leading technologies in the UK cements our position as a global leader in offshore wind and presents unparalleled opportunities for the UK supply chain to develop new products and services, creating jobs and generating economic benefit.”
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