UMaine Prepares Offshore Wind Bid, Suggests Collaboration to Statoil (USA)

The University of Maine has extended the testing time of its VolturnUS 1:8 floating wind turbine off Castine to a year, whilst it prepares to submit a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission for an offshore wind pilot project off Monhegan Island by September 1, the Bangor Daily News reports.

The UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center explained that extending the time of the turbine’s deployment will give much better insight into the technology, as it will demonstrate its reaction in harsh weather conditions by remaining in Castine until May 2014. Initially, the VolturnUS 1:8 was intended to be tested in Castine for a month and then deployed off Monhegan for a few weeks.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission reopened the bidding process last week, thus allowing the UMaine to compete for development of an offshore wind project, which led Statoil to freeze its Hywind Maine project.

However, UMaine has suggested collaboration to Statoil, which would involve co-locating their projects and sharing the electrical infrastructure that would enable offshore wind farms to be grid-connected, the Bangor Daily News writes. The company has not yet commented on this proposal.

[mappress]

Offshore WIND Staff, July 16, 2013; Image: Advanced Structures and Composites Center, University of Maine