Vattenfall has tied up a strategic collaboration with the Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator, as part of the European energy company’s commitment to help drive down the cost of offshore wind power.
Vattenfall, the owner of the second largest fleet of offshore wind farms in the world and one half of a joint venture partnership to develop the 7.2GW East Anglia Zone, has invested more than £1 million to join the OWA and partner with other leading wind farm developers which currently have 60% of licensed offshore wind capacity in UK waters.
Through its Offshore Wind Accelerator programme, the Carbon Trust is leading an industry collaboration with nine UK wind farm developers to identify and commercialise innovations which can dramatically reduce the costs of offshore wind.
Jens Madsen, Head of Wind Power Research and Development at Vattenfall said: “By signing up with the OWA earlier this month Vattenfall is demonstrating its commitment to delivering UK offshore wind potential and significant cost reduction. We have been impressed by the strategic alliances that are being forged across the UK to ensure that offshore wind plays a key role in achieving renewable energy targets and more reliable and affordable power for British consumers.”
He added: “It is important that Vattenfall builds on its already extensive research and development programme by being part of the OWA.”
Phil de Villiers, Head of Offshore Wind at the Carbon Trust , said: “Bringing down the cost of offshore wind is an absolute priority for the industry. We believe that industry collaboration on key innovation projects that offer scope for dramatic cost reduction is the best way to go. We are therefore delighted that Vattenfall has decided to join the OWA and bring their significant experience and commitment to helping solve some of the innovation challenges facing the offshore wind industry.”
Set up in 2008, the OWA is a joint industry project – involving Vattenfall, E.ON, DONG Energy, Mainstream Renewable Power, RWE Innogy, ScottishPower Renewables, SSE Renewables, Statkraft and Statoil – which aims to reduce the cost of offshore wind by 10% by 2015. The OWA model brings together the Carbon Trust’s expertise in delivering innovation and convening industry consortiums with the industrial partners’ technical knowledge and resources. It is through both desk-based and demonstration projects that the OWA plans to commercialise innovative ideas in time for use on UK Round 3 wind farms.
The OWA is two-thirds funded by industry and one-third funded by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
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Press release, December 17, 2012; Image: Vattenfall