Two-Bladed Pioneer Seawind Lands Greek Islands Deal
Thursday 30 November 2017
Two-bladed offshore wind turbine pioneer Seawind has landed a breakout deal with Greek renewables developer WRE Hellas to build arrays of bottom-fixed offshore and floating wind farms to power islands in the Aegean Sea, Recharge can reveal.
The project, expected to lead to developments of 50-100MW, is being advanced under the European Union’s Clean Energy for EU Islands Programme, which has the long-term target of switching over the bloc’s 2,000-plus inhabited islands to renewable energy.
“The development of economic, clean energy sources is of vital importance for many small Greek islands that rely heavily on tourism,” says WRE Hellas managing director Victoria Alexandratou. “Seawind’s technology will enable us to meet this objective at a cost comparable to the wholesale price on the mainland and independent from government subsidies.”
Seawind chief executive Martin Jakubowski adds: “We look forward to showcasing how 100% green energy systems will work on Greek islands and other smaller economies.”
The innovative Seawind turbine design features a twin-blade rotor fitted to a hybrid mechanical-elastomeric hinge that is engineered to filter out wind-driven gyroscopic loads and so cushion the impact on the machine’s two-stage geared drivetrain. Power control is finessed by yawing rather than by adjusting blade pitch.
First full-scale Seawind prototype ‘installed off Norway in 2018’