MPS appoints German wind turbine supplier for commercial-scale renewable energy hybrid

September 15, 2022, by Amir Garanovic

Welsh company Marine Power Systems (MPS) has awarded a contract to Windsy for the supply and deployment of the wind turbine to be used on the megawatt-scale wind and wave energy hybrid demonstrator.

MPS’ concept for wind and wave energy hybrid demonstrator (Courtesy of MPS)

German-based company Windsy will be supporting MPS in the engineering, procurement and construction management of the 2MW turbine that will be deployed on its floating platform technology in 2023.

The commercial-scale hybrid – featuring a 2MW offshore wind turbine, combined with 500kW wave energy device – will be deployed and connected to the grid at the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP), in the Basque Country in Spain.

The floating platform, dubbed PelaFlex, brings excellent stability and straightforward deployment and maintenance, according to MPS, while its PelaGen wave energy converter is said to represent an advanced technology that generates power at an extremely competitive cost of energy.

The tension legged platform has zero tilt and low acceleration which maximizes energy capture and minimizes turbine wear and tear whilst also reducing wind turbine controller modification, MPS noted.

Graham Foster, CTO at MPS, said: “At MPS we see our partners and suppliers are very much part our team, and with Windsy we’re adding another sector leading expert to our already excellent team. We have previously delivered successful projects with Windsy and this latest appointment will not only support the procurement and deployment of the wind turbine but will ensure we are benefiting from the very best expertise in the industry and developing that capability within our own team.”

Alexander Ribbentrop-Arcade, technical managing director at Windsy, added: “The entire Windsy team, with its turbine design expertise, and as part of the Vulcain Group is committed to deliver a robust and reliable floating wind turbine demonstrator. We are passioned to deliver with MPS and its partners a leading technology for future industrial scale floating solutions.”

To remind, MPS recently selected TSC Engineering to provide the design and development of the tensioner deployment system for the hybrid renewable energy solution.

MPS’ megawatt-scale demonstrator project has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh government, along with private investments.