National Renewable Energy Centre invites partners for 100MW offshore wind farm in UK

The National Renewable Energy Centre (NAREC) calls for partners to collaborate and develop £333m, 100MW Blyth Offshore Wind Demonstration Site (BOWDS) off the coast of Northumberland, UK.

The centre has applied for the offshore permits for BOWDS which will have 15 pre-consented pods in three arrays at water depths ranging from 38m to 57m.

NAREC CEO Andrew Mill said the turbines to be installed will be fleet leaders, a Formula 1 class of offshore machines, and the site will provide the catalyst for taking these next generation technologies through to full production.

"With a lease from the Crown Estate, an offshore permit application submitted and the infrastructure arrangements in place, we expect demand to outstrip supply," added Mill.

"The facility will be ready for the first deployments in 2014 and will be key for project developers looking to inform their procurement strategies for Round 3 and Scottish Inshore Water projects."

"We can test the blades and drive trains to be deployed offshore and effectively age test pieces, ahead of the demonstration of offshore prototypes and Series Zero components.

NAREC intends to awards works concessions contract for each array to a different operator, but it may consider awarding more than one array to an organisation.

The selected partners will have to deploy next generation systems to a combined project of 100MW installed grid connected capacity and the nature of the work would include procuring, installing, commissioning and operating of an array up to 35MW.

The scope of work of the contract will also include final geotechnical investigations, foundations, tower, turbine equipment and relevant offshore cabling.

Testing blades and drive trains before deploying them at the demonstration site can result in innovation and cost reduction in the sector.

NAREC will elect the suitable partners through a competitive process by 13 July 2012.