Nissum Bredning Vindmøllelaug has submitted the winning bid to the Danish Energy Agency’s (DEA) call for the construction of a pilot project for new offshore wind technology.
According to DEA, the 28MW project “Testbed for new technologies and integrated design” proposed by Nissum Bredning Vindmøllelaug contains important experimental elements for future offshore wind technology with both high development potential and commercial perspective.
The project includes the testing of four Siemens SWT-7.0-154 wind turbines and new gravity jacket foundations off Rønland in Denmark. The turbine is currently being tested in Østerild, but has not yet been tested offshore.
The pilot scheme gives the opportunity to test these technology elements on a large scale in conditions similar to the North Sea, where the technology is expected to be used first. The project also includes a new cable and switchgear concept with 66kV voltage, which is expected to be standard voltage for future offshore wind farms.
The elements to be tested in Nissum Bredning are expected to contribute to cost reduction of future offshore wind projects. The applicant believes that the pilot project will bring savings of about 12.5% of both capital and operating costs, DEA said.
The project is supported through a guaranteed feed-in tariff with DKK 0.7/kWh (EUR 0.09/kWh) for 10-11 years. The total funding for the project is estimated to be approximately DKK 300 million (EUR 40.3 million).
Four proposals were submitted at DEA’s invitation for tenders for the test scheme: one by EDF Energies Nouvelles, two by European Energy, and one by Nissum Bredning Vindmøllelaug.