The first GE Renewable Energy Haliade wind turbine nacelle has arrived at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s test facility in northeast England under a five year R&D deal between the two.

The Haliade 150-6MW nacelle was shipped to the ORE Catapult’s 15MW drive-train test rig in Blyth, Northumberland from GE Renewable Energy’s turbine factory in Saint-Nazaire, France.

It will begin a year-long test and demonstration programme, designed to boost performance and reliability by mirroring “real-world operational conditions”.