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UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband, has announced a global competition in conjunction with the Carbon Trust to find new designs for wind turbine foundations that are suitable for the deep sea water conditions (30-60m) required for off-shore wind projects.
Launching the competition, Miliband said, “Offshore wind is an important part of our low-carbon future. We need low-carbon, secure energy supplies to ensure we meet our climate change goals.”
Entries will be solicited from around the world, with the short-listed designs receiving up to £100,000 for a detailed assessment of their design concepts. The winners will have their designs built and installed into large-scale sea demonstration projects being carried out between 2010 and 2012, funded by a consortium that includes the Carbon Trust.
According to the Carbon Trust, 150,000 new foundations will be required by 2020 to support a global off-shore wind market worth up to £2.5bn. Foundations can represent up to 20% of the project costs for an off-shore wind farm and the Carbon Trust hopes that the winning designs from this competition will help to bring down the costs, making deeper water sites more commercially viable.
The competition opens on 11th May and closes on 15th June 2009. Applicants can pre-register at: www.carbontrust.com/wind
For further information: www.carbontrust.co.uk/News/presscentre/Global+Competition+to+cut+the+costs+of+offshore+wind+energy.htm