Methil will become home to two more test wind turbines after Dutch renewable energy firm 2-B Energy secured a 26.5 million euro investment package to help bring its cost-cutting double-bladed design to market.
The group expects to follow Samsung Heavy Industries’ lead by installing cutting-edge technology in the water off the coast of Fife, with two machines expected to be built around a mile from the shoreline during 2016.
The fresh funding package will also allow the group founded in 2007 by engineers, project developers, and supply chain and commercial managers already working in the offshore wind industry to scale up the company both in Europe and the UK.
The 2-B turbine design, with full tower lattice structure, integrated helipad and two 140-metre diameter blades, could bring down the cost of multi-billion-pound offshore wind projects by as much as 35%.
Backing was provided by what Scottish Enterprise described as a “unique collaborative group of public- and private-sector partners”, including both the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Scottish Investment Bank.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Ed Davey yesterday announced the award of £2.79m to the project during his speech to the Scottish Renewables annual conference in Edinburgh, while Scottish Enterprise confirmed its had given £2.75m in support through the SIB’s Renewable Energy Investment Fund.
Other interested parties include majority shareholder and lead investor Truffle Capital, as well as minority partners PPM Oost, Shell, Rabobank and AgentschapNL.
“The benefits that offshore wind can bring are clear from enhancing our energy security, reducing our dependence on imports and helping reduce our carbon emissions,” Mr Davey said.
“Innovation is critical to cutting the cost of this low-carbon power source, which could in turn lead to lower bills for hard-working consumers.”
The simplified design of the 2-B concept reduces the number of components used in installations, significantly cutting operation and maintenance costs while supporting state-of-the-art 6MW generators.
The next step for the project is testing at an onshore location in the Netherlands.
Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing also welcomed the news, as did Scottish Enterprise chief executive Lena Wilson, Truffle Capital partner Jean-Franois Fourt, British Ambassador to the Netherlands Sir Geoffrey Adams and head of UK Trade & Investment Michael Boyd.
2-B has been working alongside Scottish Enterprise for almost two years and already has a base at Fife Energy Park.
Chief operating officer Mikael Jakobsson said there was a clear need for greater reductions in the cost of energy if offshore wind power is to become sustainable.
“Our state-of-the-art design has the potential to be a significant contributor in reaching this goal, and with this new injection of funding we will be able to really drive forward our ambitious business plans both in the Netherlands and in Scotland,” he said.
“We’ve received fantastic support from the public sector in the Netherlands, UK and Scotland through UKTI in the Hague and Scottish Enterprise. This support, coupled with the backing of major financial and industrial institutions, is vital in helping us drive forward our exciting venture.”
Other projects to benefit from funding under the DECC Offshore Component Technologies innovation competition include:Glasgow’s SgurrControl, which was awarded £667,000 to support its work to reduce stress on turbine blades. Stourbridge-based Ocean Resource, with £216,442 to help it develop a towable and onshore-commissioned turbine. High Voltage Partial Discharge, of Manchester, which will use an award of more than £900,000 to trial monitoring technology for undersea cables in partnership with Strathclyde University and a string of industry operators.