Wind turbine test plant creates work for 300
Feb 17 2010 By Adam Jupp, The Journal
MULTI-MILLION pound plans to create the world's largest wind turbine test facility in the North East were unveiled yesterday.
The rig will be built at the New and Renewable Energy Centre and will create an initial wave of 300 construction industry jobs.
It will be used to test the engines fitted inside giant wind turbines set to be located off the British coastline, which are intended to generate lower-cost electricity for the entire country.
The £30m facility in Blyth, Northumberland, is being funded by investment from regional development agency One North East and the United Kingdom’s Energy Technologies Institute.
It is seen as a major step towards cementing the North East’s place at the centre of the rapidly expanding green energy sector, which has the potential to create thousands of jobs in the future.
Narec already tests turbine blades at its south-east Northumberland base and has worked as an adviser to national policy makers on the technology involved in generating wind energy. It is also hoped the region can become a hub for manufacturing the turbine blades and towers, with former shipyards on the banks of the Tyne earmarked for development.
Politicians and business leaders last night welcomed the ETI’s announcement that the test rig will be built in Blyth.
Ian Williams, director of business and industry at One North East, said: "This latest development at Narec is excellent news and will further strengthen our ability to attract new investment.
"One North East has been investing and building world class capability in the offshore industry since 2002. This long-term strategy has not only created this international facility for the UK, but has put the region in pole position to take advantage of significant new job creation opportunities."
The Crown Estate, which looks after all waters off Britain, recently announced the latest list of sites where offshore turbines will be located.
They include Dogger Bank, off the coast of Teesside, which will be home to the largest of the new wind farm clusters.
The test rig that will be built at Narec will enable turbine nacelles, which contain the motors used to power them, to be tested onshore and indoors before being taken out to sea.
It is seen as a lower cost alternative to deploying and testing turbines offshore as well as helping with the research and development of improved devices.
Two firms, Converteam and HORIBA Instruments, are producing competing designs for the test facility that will be presented to the ETI at the end of May.
It is anticipated one preferred contractor will be selected to procure, build and commission the rig, which should be up and running by the end of 2011.
