SgurrEnergy has been appointed by Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to operate and maintain the recently acquired Levenmouth 7MW demonstration offshore wind turbine, located just 50m off the East Fife coast.
The turbine, acquired from Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), becomes the world’s most advanced, open access, offshore wind turbine dedicated to research, and offers opportunities for considerable training and development of skills vital for the future of the offshore wind industry, SgurrEnergy says.
SgurrEnergy’s engineers and consultants will provide full operational support, knowledge and expertise for the day to day operations and maintenance of the turbine, combining 24/7 remote monitoring and onsite management.
The turbine offers UK industry and academia an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of technologies as well as the operations and maintenance aspects of offshore wind turbines, and thus drive down the cost of delivering clean energy from offshore wind.
Andrew Jamieson, Chief Executive of ORE Catapult, said: “Having a dedicated offshore wind turbine, accessible from shore, will prove a massive advantage for Scotland and indeed the UK’s offshore wind industry – a real world first. It enables us to extend and enhance both existing and future research programmes, provide an unrivalled testing environment for new technologies and facilitate the development of skills and experience critical to the future development of the industry, and its continuing efforts to reduce costs.”