US getting more in the wind turbine game?

[Gilligan]

The world's leading producers of large wind turbines used offshore, to 12MW currently, are all outside the US. Be interesting to see if an indigenous production capability develops.

The configurations of the 15MW reference turbine go beyond the capabilities of the 10 to 12MW turbines already in development but are similar enough to serve as a baseline for 15 to 20MW next-generation designs, NREL said.

https://www.offshorewind.biz/2020/02/14/nrel-unveils-15mw-reference-offshore-wind-turbine/

 

[stgislander]

I guess it depends on how many wind farms we're talking about. Why spin up US production for what currently looks like a paltry number.

 

[Bonehead]

I don't see the numbers yet to make it worth doing here. Someone needs to figure out how to recycle the blades.

 

[Gilligan]

I guess it depends on how many wind farms we're talking about. Why spin up US production for what currently looks like a paltry number.

Yeah..a paltry number, all right. "Zero" is definitely a paltry number. The government red tape delays are killing the startup momentum that is (was?) really building for the last three to four years. Nobody is going to lease or build the massive ships, O&M vessels, and facilities required to support offshore wind farm construction without some real certainty regards project schedules and scope.

 

[GWguy]

Sometimes the wind industry shoots themselves in the foot. There was a huge proposal for off the Eastern Shore. By the time everything got approved, the windmill originally proposed was outdated, so a different windmill was "substituted". It was significantly bigger than the original proposal, and changed many factors, but no permits/applications were appended. The project was halted. Don't know if they got past this yet...

 

[Gilligan]

Sometimes the wind industry shoots themselves in the foot. ..

Discussed recently here:

https://www.windpowerengineering.co...-an-opportunity-moment-in-its-public-affairs/

 

[Chris0nllyn]

I guess it depends on how many wind farms we're talking about. Why spin up US production for what currently looks like a paltry number.

A number of wind farms will pop up on the east coast here in the next few years.

People actively working on those projects are bound by NDAs though. At least we are. We couldn't even wear company shirts on site visits and had to look like tourists.

 

[Gilligan]

A number of wind farms will pop up on the east coast here in the next few years.

But certainly not as soon as everyone was counting on....

Meanwhile, they continue to install turbines by the thousands "over there" where all our business is.