With the first twelve months of continuous independent blade testing in the UK nearing completion, The New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) is discovering how blade technology is the manufacturers’ key to competitive advantage.
Dr. Richard Court, Wind Technology and Materials Specialist at NaREC, “Manufacturers are ensuring their success in the current market and safeguarding their future dominance by being the first to develop advances in blade materials, durability and resilience. A key issue in Europe and in the UK in particular, is the limited number of sites available for onshore wind technology deployment. As a result, manufacturers and investors are now looking at other ways to capitalise on existing projects. Developers are looking at increasing output and making the most of established sites, and so durability and efficiency are crucial factors. Larger blades are being developed to meet with on and offshore power demands. Their quayside facility removes the logistical nightmares associated with moving blades over 50m in length. NaREC’s blade test facility has been set on a steep learning curve, but it has already developed new testing methods which go further than current practices.