OMNI Features｜Norvento Enerxía Will Design a Prototype of Recyclable Wind Turbine Blade in the Framework of the European EOLIAN Consortium．NKT Finalizes the Power Cable Project for The Viking Link Interconnector

Norvento's nED100 wind turbine
Photo Source: Norvento）

｜Norvento Enerxía Will Design a Prototype of Recyclable Wind Turbine Blade in the Framework of the European EOLIAN Consortium

Norvento Enerxía will be a part in the EOLIAN project – a consortium made up of ten companies and research centres in the energy sector at a European level with a 4 million euro grant from the European Union.

The project, scheduled to start in June 2024, with a duration of three and a half years, has the primary objective of developing recyclable wind turbine blades with improved durability and easier maintenance. Within the consortium, Norvento will be responsible for designing and manufacturing 2 prototypes of blades. One of them will be of classical (non-reusable) design and the second one will be made of reusable materials, using a recyclable and repairable vitreous resin with a significant "bio" content, combined with basalt fibres.

The Galician company will play a crucial role in the Eolian project, as it will be responsible for developing and producing these two 14-metre blade prototypes, designed for use in its nED100 wind turbine model. Norvento will also lead the research on the mechanical properties of bio-based composite materials and basalt fibres, encouraging the development of more efficient and sustainable blades. The company will also collaborate with other partners to evaluate the design and manufacturing efficiency of these prototypes, conducting a detailed LCOE (Levelised Cost of Energy) analysis and a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The company will also participate in durability and operability testing of sub-components, incorporating embedded sensors for accurate blade structural monitoring.

In collaboration with Norvento Enerxía, the Politecnico di Milano, the Tekniker Foundation, and Consorzio Proplast will also take part in the project and will be in charge of the development of advanced materials based on dynamic covalent bonds. On the other hand, Brunel University London and projects such as Entelea Limited and Innovation in Research and Engineering Solutions (IRES)- will work on the multi-scale modelling and characterisation of the chemistry of the blade vitrimers. In parallel and transversally, the energy company ZRL Enerji Elecktrik Uretim As, the Association Europeenne de Lindustrie Des Composites and the Italian company AEP Polymers SRL will develop the project at the methodology level.

｜NKT Finalizes the Power Cable Project For The Viking Link Interconnector
NKT has completed the power cable project of the Danish onshore part of the Viking Link interconnector between Denmark and Great Britain which is now in operation as a key project for the transformation towards renewable energy in the northern part of Europe. The design, production, delivery and jointing of the 525 kV MI HVDC power cable system were completed in close collaboration with Danish transmission system operator Energinet and its counterpart National Grid in Great Britain as part of enabling efficient exchange of renewable energy between the two countries.

"With the completion of Viking Link, we continue to play a central role in interconnecting the power grids across Europe ensuring efficient exchange of renewable electricity and high transmission security. It is also satisfying that we completed the delivery, jointing and testing of the cable system within budget, before schedule and in line with our high safety standards with zero lost time incidents." says Darren Fennell, Executive Vice President and Head of HV Solutions Karlskrona in NKT.

Viking Link is a key project for the transition to renewable energy in Northern Europe and is a EU project of common interest. The Viking Link interconnector enables exchange of green energy between the two countries, and when it is completed it will be able to secure electricity for up to 1.4 million households playing an important role in the Danish, British and European efforts to ensure security of supply and reach the climate targets set on a national and EU level.

Note:
1. The EOLIAN project has a total funding of 4 million euros from the European Union. The main objective of this initiative is to develop a prototype of a sustainable blade with improved durability and easy maintenance. Norvento Enerxía will be responsible for the design and manufacture of 2 blade prototypes, focused on testing the suitability of the technologies and materials used.
2. Customers: Energinet and National Grid. Cable specifications: 525 kV MI HVDC onshore power cable with a capacity of 1,400 MW. Total cable length: 2x78 km between Houstrup Strand and Revsing in Denmark. Project duration: 2019-2023.

Refernece: Norvento｜NKT