Windcatcher: a unique wind turbine with a water wall made of blades is being developed in Norway
Wind energy is actively exploring new ways of development and offers more and more innovative solutions. Therefore, not only traditional huge turbines, but also more compact models with a different design may appear in the industry soon, reports CNBC.
For example, Wind Catching Systems in Norway is focused on the Windcatcher project, which it calls a floating wind farm based on a multi-turbine design. The idea is to maximize the production of electricity from a concentrated area. The project also includes an elevator system for turbine installation and maintenance.
It will all look simply impressive – the system resembles a huge water wall made of rotating blades. The company says that the large Wind Catcher model will be 300 m high and 350 m wide. It will have 126 turbines with a capacity of 1 megawatt. However, this is still a long way off – first, the manufacturer plans a small pilot project, and then an intermediate version of the Wind Catcher.
It is noteworthy that the project will solve another problem. We are talking about birds the impact of turbines on which causes concern. The company assures that their system will be able to mitigate potential risks.
Wind Catching Systems is now attracting notable sponsors as countries and companies around the world seek to reduce their emissions. For example, the manufacturer previously announced that it had entered into a strategic agreement with General Motors and attracted investment from GM Ventures. And recently, the company announced the receipt of a pre-project grant in the amount of 9.3 million kroner (about $872.5 thousand) from the company Enova, which belongs to the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment.
Windcatcher is an important project, but it is far from the only one in this field. For example, the Vortex Bladeless system has a cylindrical mast and does not use blades. Kitemill has developed a design based on a kite-like system tethered to the ground. Other companies are working on a floating turbine with a vertical axis.
We will remind, according to BloombergNEF report, wind power industry recovers from 2022 downturn. Global capacity growth includes offshore and onshore wind power installations, which saw a 15 percent drop last year.