As the global offshore wind energy market appears poised for significant growth in the coming years, that growth will be driven by demand as well as cost reductions in new technology. IntelStor has previously predicted a global offshore wind market of 355GW by 2050, up significantly from the current levels of ~49GW which is expected to be installed globally by the end of 2019.

As the industry looks towards a bright future, it must also be recognized that within the offshore wind energy supply chain, the market is largely controlled by three major OEMs; Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, and GE Renewable Energy.

While Senvion and other Asian manufacturers such as Ming Yang, Goldwind, Shanghai Electric, Guodian UP, CSIC, Hitachi and Doosan are all engaged in the market, none appear to have the right type of capital structure, or bankable and competitive technology to engage the global market in a robust way.

The two largest governing influences on offshore market for the offshore supply chain viability are product bankability and reliability. If we look at the current competing designs in the 10 - 12MW range, it is important to take note of the pedigree of the companies behind these current generation of products. All have proven to provide bankable technology in the onshore and offshore wind energy markets, and we also take note of the level of investment which has been required in the non-recurring engineering costs involved in order to bring these products to market.

Additionally, any wind turbines which can minimize the rare earth material usage will be preferred looking ahead into the future. This is because of the potential shortages in the availability of rare earth elements used to make the permanent magnets in the generators of offshore turbines due to Chinese supply constrictions in response to trade disputes with the United States. Less availability of raw material implies higher prices, so designs which limit part count will be highly prized.

Enter Dutch company VerVent, with an offshore wind turbine that is scalable up to 16MW comprising a 1.5 stage bevel-type gearbox and a counter rotating generator. This design comprises minimal moving parts as well as a limited amount of active material, i.e. permanent magnets which are in use. This means that VerVent can achieve a 16MW power rating with roughly the same composition of magnets as GE Renewable Energy has in their Haliade-X 12MW turbine.

VerVent is founded by Hans Bais and is backed by a team, each of whom has between 30 - 35 years of experience in the wind energy industry. In 2006 the founders of VerVent established Darwind, the 5 MW direct drive wind turbine manufacturer, which was successfully sold off to XEMC of China in 2008.

Their new design is compelling and noteworthy because it minimizes technology & commercial risks by utilizing a proven set of supply chain partners including Siemens, Renk, Eolotec, Geislinger and Siempelkamp in an effort to maximize margins & minimize Cost of Energy (COE). This is achieved through a drivetrain architecture which has been used on other types of high-torque applications in the past and is being adapted for use in wind energy.

While most mainstream offshore supply chain companies are striving towards higher power ratings above the 10 - 12MW range, the market can expect more options available to them in the future.

Intelstor | www.intelstor.com