In the face of increased demand for off-shore wind energy, UK engineering consultancy Ricardo is creating a dedicated team to service a significant growth in demand for consultancy expertise, including the provision of advanced technologies and innovations developed by the company.
The new team represents a significant expansion of Ricardo’s activity in off-shore wind consulting and builds upon the company’s investments in technology development specific to the unique demands of off-shore wind energy. The challenges of maintaining and operating wind turbines in the marine environment are considerably greater than on-shore, meaning that operation and maintenance costs are considerably higher.
The key business driver for success of any wind energy project is the cost per megawatt hour of electricity generated, and for this reason technologies that can help deliver reliability and service life are extremely valuable. This has been the focus of significant effort by the Ricardo Innovations team in recent years, which has resulted in the development of a range of proprietary wind energy innovations that the company can now exploit in providing high-value engineering and strategic consulting services. These are based on the use of advanced sensors and control algorithms, as well as sophisticated mechatronic systems, aimed at optimizing the operation of off-shore wind turbines and proactively targeting and planning maintenance operations.
The customer base for Ricardo’s wind energy consulting team services includes some of the leading international players in the off-shore wind energy sector, from major turbine manufacturers to wind farm developers and investors.
By Jake Frith
