Maine home to world's first grid-connected offshore wind turbine
June 6, 2013 | By
Barbara Vergetis Lundin
The nation's first grid-connected offshore floating wind turbine prototype is being recognized by the Department of Energy. Located off the coast of Maine, the project is the world's first concrete-composite floating platform wind turbine deployment. Offshore wind offers more than 4,000 GW of domestic energy potential (four times the nation's current generation capacity) and is a huge untapped resource for the United States. Because the potential from this energy source lies in deeper waters where conventional turbine technology is not practical, innovative floating offshore wind turbines will open up new economic and energy opportunities for the country. If the U.S. took advantage of the offshore wind industry, it could support up to 200,000 manufacturing, construction, operation and supply chain jobs across the country and drive over $70 billion in annual investments by 2030, according to research by the Energy Department, who supported the Maine project with a $12 million investment over five years. "Developing America's vast renewable energy resources is an important part of the Energy Department's all-of-the-above strategy to pave the way to a cleaner and more diverse domestic energy portfolio," said Jose Zayas, director of the Energy Department's Wind and Water Power Technologies Office. "The Castine offshore wind project represents a critical investment to ensure America leads in this fast-growing global industry, helping to bring tremendous untapped energy resources to market and create new jobs across the country." The University of Maine used advanced materials to reduce the overall cost of the floating wind turbine system while ensuring high performance and efficiency. For example, the floating wind turbine features a unique semi-submersible platform that uses a lower cost concrete foundation in addition to a lighter weight composite tower. For more: Sign up for our FREE newsletter for more news like this sent to your inbox! |
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