Narec explains that a new 100m blade test facility will provide an independent and confidential environment to accelerate the development of new blade designs before they are taken offshore. “It will be the largest of its type in the world and expands on Narec’s existing blade testing capability developed over the last five years, serving the global supply chain and industrial research community,” says the centre.
The new R&D centre will also house Project Nautilus, a 3-MW drive train test rig designed to “de-risk in-field activities” by allowing Narec to perform certification activities, reliability and performance appraisal of new marine devices. “Based around the existing dry docks, there will be no comparable open-access R&D facilities elsewhere in the world,” claims Narec.
Blyth will also be home to Narec’s Project Fujin: described by the centre as “the world's largest offshore wind drive train test facility” rated at 15 MW. This test facility will provide land based development and testing of whole power systems in conditions representative of the in-field environment.
Narec’s plans, to design the world’s largest open access offshore wind turbine drive train test rig for machines up to 12 MW were announced by the Energy Technologies Institute in February 2010. The test rig design specification is a result of nearly two years of engineering development and industry consultation by Narec and ETI.
The project is supported by government, One North East and the European Regional Development Fund 2007-13. In July 2009, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) granted funding of £10 million for Project Nautilus with £4.46 million from ERDF. The new world class facility is jointly funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Energy and Climate Change (£11.5m) and Regional Development Agency One North East (£3.5m).
Funding for the build of a major offshore wind turbine component and drive train testing rig has the support of the Energy Technologies Institute and the One North East regional development agency, which will invest £10 million in the building to house the rig.
Now planning permission for the R&D facility has been granted, Narec is working to progress all three projects to the next stage of design development and construction.
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