The Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) and the Energy Research Centre of The Netherlands (ECN) have signed a collaboration agreement to set up a cold climate test center in Sweden.
On its website the Cold Climate Test Center states that “cold climate areas are providing huge potential for wind power all around the globe. But chill and ice demand a great deal on technology and require optimal testing conditions.”
RISE and ECN will establish a test center in the northern part of Sweden for full-scale testing, research, verification and certification of new generations of wind turbines and subsystems in cold climate.
RISE said the test center would be located “in a place with excellent conditions for testing wind turbines”. However, a specific location is yet to be determined.
The two organizations have extensive experience in wind energy and testing activities. Their strengths complement each other and together they form an ideal team for developing such a unique cold climate facility.
The center should be installed on a “plateau” according to RISE to minimize the turbulence on prototypes to be installed there.
RISE already operates field facilities in cold conditions in Sweden and has a long experience in measurement, testing and validation. ECN has its own full-scale wind turbine test center, an accredited measurement team, and over 40 years of dedicated R&D in wind energy.
Partners are:
Skellefteå Kraft – a regional developer and power utility operating 930 GWh wind power, all in cold climate conditions.
Vindkraftscentrum – an organisation in the northern part of Sweden who promotes the establishment of wind power.
Vinnova – the Swedish national research funding agency for innovation and sustainable growth.
Swedish Wind Power Technology Centre (SWPTC) – a research center formed by the technical universities of Chalmers and Luleå.
Vattenfall – a utility company operating more than 1 000 wind turbines, from the cold Nordic to places further south in Europe.
For more information please visit the Cold Climate website.
Feature image (on top): Stor Rotliden (Vattenfall)
New Test Center for the Global Wind Industry in Sweden, edited by Admin