– With many small turbines, you can install much more power on a small area. On one such float you can produce five times as much power as with a traditional windmill, says Ole Heggheim. Managing director Ole Heggheim (right) and inventor and founder Asbjørn Nes at Wind Catching Systems AS in the Mehuken wind farm where they want to test out a new and smaller turbine than the one behind. It will be used at sea. Photo: Seline Larsen / news He is managing director of Wind Catching Systems AS, the company that develops the turbines. He meets news not far from Kråkenes fyr. It is located on Vågsøy in Sogn og Fjordane. Mehuken wind farm is one of the windiest in the country. Here, the company is applying for a license to test out one of the turbines to be used at sea. Here in Mehuken wind power park, not far from Kråkenes lighthouse, Wind Catching Systems wishes to test out one of the wind turbines that will later be used in wind power plants at sea. Photo: Seline Larsen / news – Realistic The strong wind this day makes it difficult to stand upright. Twice the helmet is blown by the guys who are here to look at the situation. – This is as close as you can get to the condition at sea. It will be very realistic conditions to test under, says Heggheim. The turbine is much smaller than the ones standing here before, and it will later stand together with many others in floating wind power plants. Gets support from Enova The Government’s aim is that in 2040 floating wind power plants should produce almost as much electricity as all land-based power plants do today. Astrid Lilliestråle, marketing director at Enova. Photo: Enova Wind Catching Systems AS now receives NOK 22 million from the state-owned climate and energy company Enova. The money will be used to develop and test the turbine system. – By developing different technology, more suppliers can come on board. Greater diversity gives greater opportunities for success, says marketing director at Enova, Astrid Lilliestråle. She believes it is an advantage that Wind Catching Systems’ “wind walls” or “wind sails” are area-efficient. – Not even at sea is there limitless space, says Lilliestråle. The frame with wind turbines will be approximately as high as the Eiffel Tower. Illustration: Wind Catching Systems As high as the Eiffel Tower The largest turbines for offshore wind have a rotor with a diameter of over 200 metres. By comparison, Wind Catching Systems’ turbine is small, with a rotor diameter of “only” 30 metres. In return, many of them will be mounted on a frame that will be 350 meters wide and 300 meters high. It is about as tall as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Nevertheless, the company believes that the installation will remain upright, floating on the sea, in all kinds of weather. The puffin with the catch in its beak. Offshore wind turbines can be dangerous for seabirds. Photo: Knut-Sverre Horn / news On land, people are injured or killed by wind turbines. It can also happen at sea, admits Ole Heggheim. – There will always be a danger to birds with sea winds, and that is something we take very seriously, he says. He still believes that their installation is easier for seabirds to see and steer clear of than traditional, large wind turbines. The wind walls must also have equipment that scares birds away from the turbines. Easy to maintain Installations at sea must endure great stress and will need maintenance. Heggheim compares with cars – Ferarri and Toyota Corolla. – Where other wind turbines at sea are extremely advanced machines, we have made a very simple turbine. In the city, we have a lot of it. It will be a solution that is easy to maintain. At the same time, it is completely Norwegian, he says. Researcher at Sintef Energi, Valentin Chabaud, says he does not know which solution for offshore wind is the most profitable. But he sees advantages with a system with many small rotors. – A lower center of gravity results in a lighter construction. Greater concentration of turbines makes them easier to install and maintain, says Chabaud to news. Wind Catching Systems is investing in having a commercial power plant of this type ready for development at Utsira in 2027-2028. The wind wall or wind sail as the Norwegian company envisions it. The idea is that many small turbines mounted in a frame provide a more concentrated effect and take up less space than traditional, large wind turbines. Illustration: Wind Cathcing Systems AS
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Norwegian system for offshore wind receives praise and public support – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
