ORE Catapult Invests in Innovative Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing Facility

Additive manufacturing in action
Additive manufacturing in action

Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, UK-based innovation center for offshore renewable energy, is looking to lower costs and speed up the production of the wind turbine blade designs of the future with investment in a prototype blade manufacturing facility.  

The project, named Additive Manufacturing for Wind Blades, will install an advanced manufacturing cell at ORE Catapult’s National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth, England, capable of proving technologies which can reduce blade manufacturing costs, increase production speeds and explore the potential for new materials with a reduced environmental impact. 

3D Robotic Printing 

Per ORE Catapult, the blade facility will challenge traditional blade manufacturing processes by using sophisticated 3D robotic printing techniques, investigating the use of sustainable materials, as well as flexible and more productive manufacturing methods. The facility will also allow the rapid production of prototype blade enhancements such as vortex generators and edge erosion protection systems.   

ORE Catapult plans to use the facility to directly support UK SME and supply chain development to accelerate new and innovative prototype blade designs for application in the wind industry, as well as forging further ties with key players in the industry, such as original equipment manufacturers and academia, ORE Catapult said.

Dr Stephen Wyatt, Research and Disruptive Innovation Director at ORE Catapult, said: “Our new Additive cell will allow us to quickly develop new blade design concepts and move from the drawing board to our test hall or development turbine in just a few days rather than months.  The low-cost agile nature of this process is a game changer for the Catapult blades team, who will work with innovators to rapidly develop new and more sustainable designs for our booming sector.”  

Ben Wood, Founder of UK wind turbine aerodynamics specialists Anakata, commented: “As we look to drive ever-more efficient performance and reliability from wind turbine blades, so we need to continually strive for improved materials, design and manufacture. Access to expertise and facilities such as this advanced manufacturing cell at ORE Catapult are critical to keeping UK innovators at the absolute forefront of clean energy technology.” 

Current News

Equinor Takes $955M Impairment Hit on US Offshore Wind Farm

Equinor Takes $955M Impairment

Exxon Looking to Explore Trinidad and Tobago For Offshore Oil

Exxon Looking to Explore Trini

SLB Gets CCS Job in North Sea for BP, Equinor and TotalEnergies JV

SLB Gets CCS Job in North Sea

CEP Makes ‘Significant’ Oil Discovery Offshore Poland

CEP Makes ‘Significant’ Oil Di

Subscribe for OE Digital E‑News

 
Offshore Engineer Magazine