GE Renewable Energy and the UK’s Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult have signed a five-year research and development agreement to test and develop next generation offshore wind technologies. GE’s recently announced Haliade-X 12 MW offshore wind turbine and existing Haliade 150- 6MW will undergo advanced test and demonstration programs that accurately replicate real-world operational conditions to enhance performance and reliability.
Research and development activities will include cooling technologies, converters, loading conditions across mechanical and electrical components, grid testing and design validation. This collaboration will drive technology improvements that will also help to develop the UK supply chain and increase access to demonstration opportunities for Innovative small businesses.
In addition to the R&D activities, the agreement also includes a £6m combined investment with Innovate UK and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to install the world’s largest and most powerful grid emulation system at the Catapult’s National Renewable Energy Centre in BIyth.
Supplied by GE Power, Grid Emulation, in conjunction with the Catapult’s power train test facilities, will enable the partners, UK companies and researchers to better assess the interaction between the next generation of large scale wind turbines and the electrical distribution network in the most challenging environments.