NEWSLETTER ARTICLES
Britannia Gets a Boost
Article for "Clipper Winds", corporate newsletter of Clipper Windpower
The British Crown Estate has signed an agreement to purchase the prototype of Clipper’s first offshore turbine, the MBE, now being developed by the Clipper Britannia Project. The 7.5-megawatt MBE ("Million Barrel oil Equivalent") will be the world’s largest wind turbine. David Still is Britannia’s Managing Director for Strategy and Implementation, and was recently honored by Queen Elizabeth as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, recognizing his years of dedication to wind energy.
The British government emphasized its commitment to wind power in the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES), released in June 2008. This report calls for a radical increase in the nation’s green energy portfolio—with a particular focus on wind generation. Meanwhile, the government is providing tangible support through its One NorthEast development agency, concentrating its resources in the coastal town of Blyth—where Clipper’s Britannia Project is located. The Britannia team will build on the design innovations of the 2.5 MW Liberty turbine, and test the MBE’s components at One NorthEast’s New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC), located nearby.
The project’s location on the east coast of England is strategic. As Still points out, "What we’ve got is production facilities next to the river, which goes straight to the sea, so we can export or receive goods very effectively." And when the turbines are completed, they’ll be near one of the world’s most viable offshore wind areas — the North Sea.
It’s part of a global vision, Still says. "Clipper has recognized that there is a large market for offshore wind turbines throughout the world—initially, especially in the United Kingdom and Germany." Indeed, Germany now has the world’s highest total installed wind capacity, at 20,621 MW. While the United Kingdom is ramping up its wind power program, Spain already runs second, with 11,615 MW.
James Dehlsen, Clipper’s chairman and CEO, acknowledges the importance of these recent developments: "We are very pleased to be working with the Crown Estate to realize this exciting project," he says. "Clipper’s current Liberty 2.5 MW turbine is the fourth successful generation of turbine technology our team has created, and it provides a technology platform which scales advantageously to meet the turbine size needed to help make offshore wind economically viable. This platform enables us to accelerate the development of this vital turbine technology at a time when the urgencies of energy security and global warming are driving the transformation of energy priorities and resource use."
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