These machines, currently ranging from 6-8MW, are being put through the most rigorous testing programmes ever devised by the industry, mostly on in-house test benches at the largest manufacturers.
The cost of building these benches has been astronomical — so high, in fact, that no-one has gone public with a capital investment figure.
Three independent facilities — Britain’s National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec), Denmark’s Lindø Offshore Research Centre (Lorc) and Germany’s Fraunhofer IWES DyNaLab — are about to open their doors to this market, with Narec set to mount Samsung’s 7MW turbine’s drivetrain on its new 15MW test bench this summer.
“Dependent
