The UK government has awarded £1.2m to David Brown Gear Systems to assist in developing a 7MW offshore wind turbine gearbox, reports Department of Energy and Climate Change.
As part of this project, the company will use its latest technology for Samsung’s new turbine, which is scheduled to be tested in Scotland by the end of this year.
Financial assets have been secured within the first round of DECC and the Technology Strategy Board’s offshore wind component technologies innovation scheme worth £5m. According to the government, further awards will be announced in the near future and the second round of applications for the £15m program will be launched later this year.
David Brown is going to construct the new gearbox at its Huddersfield facility in Yorkshire. The unit has been introduced as having “low weight and compact design” and will “improve cost of ownership and ultimately lower the cost of energy for wind turbine operators”.
The UK government has also stated that the Low Carbon Innovation Co-ordination Group has revealed an analysis of the priority areas for innovation support in offshore wind. These findings support DECC’s offshore wind innovation scheme design.
As part of this project, the company will use its latest technology for Samsung’s new turbine, which is scheduled to be tested in Scotland, at the Energy Park in Fife, by the end of this year.
1.2 million British pounds = 1.90128 million U.S. dollars
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Offshore WIND staff, February 28, 2012; Image: scottish-enterprise