Page 54 - North American Clean Energy March April 2018 Issue

wind power
Powering the
Future with the
Winds of Change
by Mike King
Wind power is one of humans’ earliest sources of energy. As nations and industries across the world step up the ght against climate change, it’s also one of the most vital for our future.
One of the major barriers to the widespread adoption of clean energy sources like wind is the perceived uncertainty. Governments want to invest in trusted, proven technology, and wind – at least in North America – is in its infancy (compared with traditional energy sources like oil and gas).
But the tide is turning; sea levels are rising, and across the Atlantic there is mounting evidence of the transformative potential of wind energy – both on the environment, and on the modernization and future proo ng of the sector.
In the United Kingdom, o shore wind has been a major success. Over the last ve years, the UK has become the world’s largest market for o shore wind investment and deployment. e number of wind farms increases every year, and the rate of progress in the technology’s e ciency and scale of use continues to rise.
Technological improvements mean that the latest generation of sleek and powerful turbines o ers far more than the rst iterations, which gained a reputation for being nothing more than a costly nod to the environmental lobby. Recent advances have led to the doubling of turbine power output over the last ve years - this output is anticipated to double again in the next ve years, faster than nearly any other tech sector.
e key to their uptake and success in the UK is the parallel development of new infrastructure, in order to support and encourage the continued spread of these projects.
With several proposed o shore wind developments in the pipeline, North America is beginning a similar journey to that of the UK, which provides a compelling case study of how this support framework is integral to the industry’s success.
ose looking for lessons on how to replicate the UK’s successful model need look no further than Liverpool, a city in the north west of the UK which is known around the world as the home of e Beatles and Liverpool FC. It boasts a long maritime heritage, and an ultra- modern, deepwater port infrastructure. It also happens to be home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of o shore wind turbines, and o shore wind business clusters.
From its high-capacity port that provides the necessary space for construction vessels and transfer of project cargo, to the Cammell Laird shipyard (which has diversi ed to support large-scale energy projects, specializing in modular construction, repair, and assembly) Liverpool has built an ecosystem for wind energy to grow.
e expansive Cammell Laird site on the city’s waterfront is the hub. e wider wind energy infrastructure in Liverpool City Region includes e University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, and the National Oceanography Centre, where some of the UK’s leading academic experts in wind energy are based. It also includes
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