UK government funds 7MW gearbox programme

UK: David Brown Gear Systems has been handed a £1.2 million grant from the UK government to design a 7MW gearbox for Samsung's next generation offshore turbine.

by James Quilter 28 February 2012

The money has been awarded under the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Technology Strategy Board's Offshore Wind Component Technologies Innovation scheme, which is worth £5 million.

Coincidentally, David Brown was working on Clipper Windpower's doomed 10MW Britannia turbine, which was also funded by the government. The project was cancelled last year.

David Brown is owned by private equity firm Clyde Bowers, which is acquiring Finnish gearbox specialist Moventas.

Last month, Samsung confirmed it would use Scotland as its base to test its 7MW offshore wind turbine.

Samsung will test its 7MW turbine at the Fife Energy Park in Methil, joining firms such as the Netherlands’ 2-B Energy in using the dockside development as an offshore turbine testing facility.

Mitsubishi launches 7MW turbine

1 January 2012

WORLDWIDE: At the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) offshore conference last month Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe (MPSE) presented a new 7MW offshore turbine boasting a 165-metre-plus rotor diameter developed for high wind speed conditions.

Windpower Monthly's round-up of 2011

23 December 2011

As Windpower Monthly winds down for the end-of-year holidays, we leave you with a round-up of some of 2011's best read — if not most important — wind-energy stories from both the magazine and the website over the last year.