The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a $27 million contract to General Electric to develop a multiple MW off-shore wind turbine.
The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will share approximately $8 million of the offshore wind project costs.
The goal of the project is to design, fabricate and test a multi-megawatt scale wind turbine which could produce electricity at a much-reduced cost. The wind turbine will be located offshore and is expected to produce electricity at a cost of ¢5/kWh some 52% less than the current ¢9.5/kWh.
In addition, the NREL and GE-developed turbine will include innovative foundations, construction techniques, rotor designs, drive trains and electrical components designed for the offshore environment.