A University of Maine offshore wind demonstration project is set to gain a $40-million commercialization grant from the U.S. Energy Dept. after the agency opted late last month to withdraw funding from competitors in Virginia and Oregon whose projects were behind schedule or whose power-production costs were not deemed economically feasible.
Maine's promotion to finalist in the agency's Offshore Wind Advanced Technology Demonstration program follows the successful deployment in 2014 of the 1/8-scale Volturnus model, the first grid-connected floating offshore wind turbine in the nation. The project received a $3-million commitment from DOE when it was named as an alternate tin the program to help achieve commercialization by 2017.
该大学高级结构和复合材料中心主任哈比卜·达格（Habib Dagher）领导其离岸风能研发。他说，他的团队使用了65英尺高的Volturnus模型中的信息来建立。他说：“我们是第一个也是唯一与电网相连的团队。”“这是让我们从实验中学到很多东西并到达今天的位置的关键里程碑。”
达格说，缅因州技术可以利用多达新利18备用70％的美国海上风能资源来确定，国家可再生能源实验室的一项独立研究确定。
去年11月宣布的370万美元的能源部奖项将有助于承销设计和许可，用于建设浮动的两涡轮增压，6MW Aqua Ventus项目，该项目将安装在缅因州湾附近的缅因州海湾。该项目的财团包括位于缅因州的承包商Cianbro Corp.和Emera Inc.
“We can begin spending the $40 million after completing the first phase of design, financing and permitting, Dagher says. Construction of the two lightweight concrete hulls is expected to begin in Maine by the first quarter of 2017, he predicts.
2014年，缅因州公用事业委员会批准了一项电力购买协议，根据该协议，该协议每年的电力最多可达43,000兆瓦时，以每千瓦时23美分的价格出售给电网。
正在申请专利的Volturnus是在大学设计和建造的，在Brewer的Cianbro设施组装，并锚定用于在90英尺水的Castine海岸进行测试。
能源部成立的两个额外的决赛n include Lake Erie Energy Development Corp., a Cleveland, Ohio-based non-profit group developing the nation’s first freshwater offshore wind farm, and Fishermen’s Energy in New Jersey.
Lorry Wagner, president of the Ohio developer says the award "was a surprise, although we always knew we should be included. It means that we have an opportunity to lead the burgeoning offshore industry in manufacturing and charge to the forefront in environmental and freshwater monitoring.”
But DOE pulled funding from Virginia's VOWTAP project, which would install two advanced-technology, 6-MW wind turbines in federal waters about 24 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. At peak production, the turbines would generate enough electricity to power up to 3,000 homes. Current bids to build the project range from about $300 million to $380 million, compared with an initial estimate of about $230 million.
“自然，我们对DOE的决定感到失望，因为我们仍然认为，海上风具有向弗吉尼亚州提供干净，可再生能源的巨大潜力，”高级副总裁驻地能源解决方案玛丽·C·多斯韦尔（Mary C. Doswell）在一份声明中说。
But she confirmed that DOE made its decision after Dominion could not guarantee an in-service date for the project earlier than 2020 because of the high cost of the project, the inability to get firm construction contracts, and regulatory complexities.
Vowtap的其他合作伙伴是GE子公司Alstom Power Inc.，它将提供风力涡轮机；全球工程师KBR；Keystone Engineering，子结构的设计师；纽波特新闻造船的国家可再生能源实验室；和弗吉尼亚理工大学高级研究所。
According to media reports, the 30-MW Oregon project, called WindFloat, has struggled to find a buyer for what observers say is relatively expensive power from a five-turbine array about 20 miles off Coos Bay.
俄勒冈州立法者未能批准一项法案，该法案将要求该州的两个大型投资者拥有的公用事业太平洋电力和波特兰通用电气来购买Windfloat的产出，而成本却流向了纳税人。新利18备用官网登录
“随着额外的时间，我认为有可能开放的机会。”失败的法案的支持者Caddy McKeown（D-Coos Bay）告诉在线能源部门出版物Breaking Energy。
