Gamesa Scraps U.S. Offshore Wind Prototype Project

Spanish wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa on Monday said it would start the permitting process for the installation of its first offshore prototype, the 50-Hz G128-5.0 MW at Arinaga Quay in Spain’s Gran Canary Island—not Cape Charles, Va., as it had initially proposed. The decision was driven by technical and wind resource considerations, offshore market trends, and investment return criteria, the firm said.

Prospects for the U.S. offshore market and its regulatory conditions were not favorable for the installation of the prototype in the U.S., it said. “The offshore wind power market is developing at a firm pace. However, demand is being tempered by economic and financial factors and the difficulties being encountered by developers in accessing credit,” said Jorge Calvet, chair and CEO of Gamesa.

In major wind markets such as in the UK, Germany, France, and China, authorities were “firmly committed to the development of offshore wind power,” whereas “based upon the current situation, the U.S. market appears to be set to develop later than others,” Calvet said. The Arinaga Quay location would optimize returns on the investment from the prototype’s wind production and reduced transportation cost, because it was closer to Gamesa’s factories in Spain where the turbine will be manufactured.

Gamesa’s 5-MW offshore prototype has a 128-meter (419-foot) rotor. Installation is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2013, and certification is expected in the following months.  Gamesa also said it is in talks with authorities at Leith, Scotland, for the installation of two manufacturing plants and port logistics and maintenance services.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) had in March approved the proposed construction of the prototype in the lower Chesapeake Bay, about three miles from Cape Charles.  Gamesa’s decision on Monday effectively “freezes” that project. A milestone to design a competitive offshore turbine in the research & development center in Virginia has been completed, but the Offshore Wind Technology Centre, opened in February 2011 in partnership with shipbuilder Northrop Grumman Corp., will wind down at the end of the year as the design of the G11X- 5.0 MW offshore platform is completed, it said.

Sources: POWERnews, Gamesa