Research platform for medium-sized wind turbines in the Fischereihafen port district in Bremerhaven

At a glance

• Medium-sized wind turbines allow more areas to be developed for wind energy utilization and climate protection both in Germany and abroad. However, test facilities for modern concepts are lacking.
• The “Research platform for medium-sized wind turbines in the Fischereihafen” project will close this gap by planning and constructing a corresponding test infrastructure at the existing Fraunhofer IWES site in Bremerhaven.
• This platform, in conjunction with the test infrastructure already in place at Fraunhofer IWES, will ensure comprehensive testing facilities.

The challenge

Expanding wind energy utilization is a key component of German climate change policy, but the spacing regulations among other things mean suitable areas are in short supply. Modern wind turbines can reach heights of more than 200 meters, and thus the distances which must be maintained between them are correspondingly larger as well.

However, Germany has the potential for tens of thousands of wind turbines, each with a total height of up to 100 meters. This figure also includes areas in industrial estates and business parks with a high local demand for electricity. In addition, there is great demand internationally for smaller wind turbines, which can be built with easily available logistics, without the need for a huge crane, for example. The problem at present is that only a small number of companies are actively involved in this market and producing such wind turbines. At the same time, there is a distinct lack of facilities to test such turbines with small rotors and lower rated powers as well as new concepts.

The solution

This is where the “Research platform for medium-sized wind turbines in the Fischereihafen” project comes into play. Its objective is to plan and construct such a platform at Fraunhofer IWES in Bremerhaven and to operate it at the end of the project.

The research platform will be designed such that different prototypes of medium-sized wind turbines can be installed and tested. It will therefore essentially consist of a base plate with pile foundation and support structure plus an electric control system. On completion, it will be possible to carry out the first tests utilizing the existing infrastructure at Fraunhofer IWES. The plan initially is to test an innovative concept of a wind turbine with three rotors and a total rated power of 90 kW.

The added value

The “Research platform for medium-sized wind turbines in the Fischereihafen” project will close a gap and allow modern concepts for smaller wind turbines to be developed through to market maturity. This will enable sites which are not suitable for large turbines to be utilized for wind energy generation. The site in the Fischereihafen port district in Bremerhaven will enable researchers to investigate whether small wind turbines are compatible with industrial estates. This platform, in conjunction with test infrastructures already in place at Fraunhofer IWES, will ensure comprehensive testing facilities and a faster market ramp-up.