'20% savings should be feasible, compared to current blade costs'

Germany’s wind research institute Fraunhofer IWES last week opened the BladeMaker demonstration centre, where it is developing a prototype turbine blade that will be available to all manufacturers.

Using new materials and advanced automation techniques, the institute expects to be able to push the cost of blades down by 10-20%.

Fraunhofer IWES managing director Andreas Reuter talked to Recharge on the day of the opening of BladeMaker in Bremerhaven, northern Germany.

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