The Parliamentary Blades Project Newsletter 22 May 2017 Welcome to the final Parliamentary Blades Project newsletter. In this edition, we cover the final developments in the project, including: Project Update: Installation People Behind the Blades: Production, James Luter Parliamentary Blades Reception Brand the Blades Winners Announced MHI Vestas at the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust Night Runner Night Rider Offshore Wind: A UK Success Story Parliamentary Blades Project: Walney Blade Both of the offshore wind turbine blades containing components signed by Parliamentarians, the Parliamentary Blades, have now completed production. The first blade has arrived in Belfast at MHI Vestas pre-assembly facility where it is being prepared for offshore installation. The Belfast facility is a 200,000m2 offshore wind terminal the first bespoke facility of its type in the UK. As part of the preparations for offshore installation, the hatch cover bearing the signatures of the Parliamentarians has been installed at the root end of the blade. The blades, tower and narcelles will soon be loaded onto a specialist installation vessel and then be installed offshore at the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm, off the coast of Cumbria. MHI Vestas are installing 40 V164-8.3 MW turbines at the Walney Extension which covers an area of up to 149km2 and consists of wind turbines, foundations, inter array cables, offshore and onshore export cables within an export cable corridor and offshore and onshore substations that will connect the Project to the National Grid. The second Parliamentary Blade will soon be making its way to Germany by sea, where it will be installed in the German offshore wind farm, Borkum Riffgrund II. These offshore wind turbine blades being exported by MHI Vestas to Germany represent the first time a major turbine component has been manufactured in the UK and exported to an overseas project. They showcase the very best in British advanced manufacturing in a continental European offshore wind farm. Above, below left and below right: The hatch cover signed by 30 MPs at Offshore Wind Week 2016 is fitted into the Walney turbine The Parliamentary Blades project proudly celebrates the UK s pivotal role in delivering affordable offshore wind, MHI Vestas UK advanced manufacturing facility and skilled workforce, who are generating significant value for the UK economy. For more information about both offshore sites click here.
Project Timeline KEY PROJECT DATE OFFSHORE WIND WEEK 2016: 30 MPs sign components at the Houses of Parliament to be installed in the Walney and export blades. Autumn 2016 PRODUCTION FINISHING PARLIAMENTARY BLADE PROJECT RECEPTION INSTALLATION The Walney blade goes into production at MVOW, Isle of Wight. The Walney blade leaves the Isle of Wight on its journey to Belfast. The end of production of the second, export, blade concludes the manufacturing of the Parliamentary Blades. MVOW celebrates the occasion with a reception at MVOW Isle of Wight. The Walney blade is installed at its final location, off the coast of Cumbria, where it will be in operation for 25 years. The winning Brand the Blades plaque is mounted within the turbine. Winter 2017 Spring 2017 2018 COMPONENT HANDOVER PRODUCTION FINISHING INSTALLATION Isle of Wight MP, Andrew Turner, hands over the signed components to MHI Vestas Offshore Wind blade production staff. The export blade goes into production at MVOW, Isle of Wight. The export blade leaves the Isle of Wight on its journey to Germany. The export blade is installed at its final location, in Germany, where it will be in operation for 25 years. The winning Brand the Blades plaque is mounted within the turbine. People Behind the Blades: Director of Production, Blades, James Luter The most advanced offshore wind turbine blades in the world are designed, tested and manufactured on the Isle of Wight - a great UK success story. For our final look at the People Behind the Blades, we hear from Director of Production, Blades, James Luter. James Luter - Director of Production, Blades MHI Vestas blade manufacturing operation began on the Island in January 2015 with James at the helm, leasing space owned by parent company Vestas. this accelerated cost reduction. Just under 100 Isle of Wight manufactured blades are now fully operational in the Burbo Back Extension offshore wind farm in Liverpool Bay. The site now employs over 300 staff, working 24 hours a day, six days a week across four shifts. Heading up operations at MHI Vestas advanced manufacturing facility on the Isle of Wight, James Luter brings with him 16 years of experience in blade design, prototyping and manufacturing. I love running a business on the Island, it s a great privilege, James commented. I was born here and have spent most of my working life developing and producing wind turbine blades. It s a really exciting time for the offshore wind industry and particularly for us, says James. Above: James Luter, Director of Production, Blades Offshore wind is rapidly becoming the most competitive utility scale electricity generating technology in the UK and MHI Vestas is deploying market-leading technology to enable On a practical level, being located on the Island is not without its logistical challenges; however, the upside is that we have access to a hardworking and dedicated workforce with good composites and manufacturing skills. The response from people on the Island has been fantastic. We ve been able to get a good balance of staff with complementary backgrounds.
The Parliamentary Blades Project Reception Last month, to celebrate completion of the Parliamentary Blades, MHI Vestas advanced manufacturing facility on the Isle of Wight played host to number of guests including MPs and stakeholders. Guests were given the unique opportunity to visit the home of the world s largest commercially available offshore wind turbine blades that are designed, tested and manufactured in the UK. Guests enjoyed a tour of the facility and met representatives from all levels of the MHI Vestas business, including some of the People Behind the Blades that have been featured in our series of newsletters, and key supply chain partners. The event provided an opportunity to learn more about the UK driven innovations in offshore wind that are bringing down the cost of energy and having a significant impact on the British economy. The event culminated with the unveiling of the winners of the MHI Vestas Offshore Wind Brand the Blade competition. Above: Receptions guests were given a tour through the production facilities Right: The Occulus Rift offshore wind farm experience Below: guests watch one of the production team laying up panels More stories of the People Behind the Blades are available on our social channels, at:
Brand the Blades Competition Winners Announced The Brand the Blades competition invited, Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils from across the UK to create a name, logo and rationale behind their chosen design for the Parliamentary Blades. WINNER of the Upper KS2 Logo Creation category: Archer Dawson - Year 6, Chartfield School The winning logo A panel of judges received an anonymous short list of entries from across the UK with two winners announced at the reception on the 21st of April. Archer Dawson, 10, a Year 6 student from Chartfield School in Westgate-on-Sea, and Lotty Green, 13, a Year 8 student from Cowes Enterprise College on the Isle of Wight, were announced as the winners during the Parliamentary Blades Project reception. Lotty s winning name was Zephyros and she explains: Zephyros is the Greek God of the West Winds, and was known for being the benevolent wind god. I thought that it was a fitting name as the blades use the wind to produce the electricity and it is being installed of the Cumbrian coast which is on the west of the UK. The winning designs will be engraved onto plaques that will be placed in the V164MW offshore wind turbine at the Walney Offshore Wind Farm, and at each off the winning schools The winning pupils will also receive MHI Vestas merchandise and, thanks to their winning entries, their schools will enjoy a bespoke and interactive STEM workshop delivered by a team from MHI Vestas. Pupils will also be able to experience what it is like to head up to the top of the gigantic turbines to get an appreciation of the engineering challenges involved thanks to the loan of an Oculus Rift virtual reality set-up to the schools. WINNER of the KS3 Logo Creation and Rationale category: Lotty Green - Year 8, Enterprise College The winning logo and name rationale
MHI Vestas at the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust Night Runner Night Rider Last month, a team of six MHI Vestas employees from across the UK joined the Red Funnel Night Runner and Rider mountain bike and trail running challenge, in support of the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. The team were joined by 237 other participants and tackled the trails across the stunning Cheverton Downs on the South side of the Isle of Wight a few miles from where MHI Vestas have their production facility. Peter Clusky, Director UK Stakeholder Relations, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind commented: It was a great event to take part in; well organised, friendly, and as challenging as you wanted it to be. The MHI Vestas Offshore Wind team signed up to be able to support a great locally-based UK charity. Colleagues, friends and family, and our customers and supply chain all helped us to raise money for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. To find out more about the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust please click here. Offshore Wind: A UK Success Story Offshore wind is or is rapidly becoming the most competitive utility scale electricity generating technology. Offshore wind is creating significant new skilled and semi-skilled jobs across the UK in operations, supply chain and advanced manufacturing. Advanced technology, and competition in the market is enabling project to be built for far less than the 100/ MWh target set for 2020. Optimism is high that the forthcoming 2017 UK CFD auction round will deliver significantly lower levelised cost of energy. MHI Vestas Offshore Wind was established in March 2014 and has grown from 110 staff in the UK to over 500 in early 2017. MHI Vestas significant contribution to this accelerated cost reduction and additional UK value includes: 1. Brining market leading technology; the world breaking V164-8.0MW. 2. Being the challenger brand, MHI Vestas ensures strong competition in the offshore turbine market. 3. Delivery of significant industrial investment in the UK; from our own advanced manufacturing, and operation and maintenance facilities, to our network of competitive UK-based suppliers. Thank you for reading the Parliamentary Blades Project newsletter. Please do not hesitate to get in touch should you require more detail Peter Clusky, Head of UK Stakeholder Relations, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind: peclu@mhivestasoffshore.com