A milestone to discuss advancements and future strategies in wind energy efficiency
Roskilde, Denmark – February 5th – The AIRE project, an ambitious initiative funded by the European Union’s HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-03 program, successfully held its third General Assembly. The project, led by CENER, is at the forefront of understanding atmospheric impacts on wind turbines to improve their design, durability, and performance through advanced design and simulation tools. This significant event marked the one-year anniversary of the project, which took place in January. This key phase in the project’s journey brought together representatives from all partners to discuss achievements, ongoing work, and future endeavors.
Comprising 11 partners from 6 countries, the AIRE project represents a significant collaborative effort in the wind energy sector. It addresses the challenges arising from operating larger turbines at higher operational altitudes, a notable shift in current wind energy practices. By integrating real-world data from diverse climates and geographical locations, including eight specific study sites across Europe, it ensures a robust understanding of conditions affecting wind energy efficiency. This approach directly supports the EU’s long-term goals for energy system restructuring and aligns with the initiatives of the European Green Deal.
Advancing Wind Energy: Goals and Implementation
The project’s ambitious goals include a 5% reduction in wind energy costs, a 20% decrease in blade operational and maintenance costs, a 4% increase in annual energy production, and a 2-3% enhancement in blade durability. These objectives are pursued through the development of advanced tools and numerical models, grounded in extensive experimental studies across Europe. The AIRE project’s comprehensive strategy involves not only the creation of these innovative models but also their validation across diverse climatic and geographical contexts.
In-Depth Discussions: Key Highlights from the Assembly’s Agenda
This day-long General Assembly commenced at 9:00 AM and was structured to facilitate comprehensive discussions on each of the project’s Work Packages (WP). The project leader, Beatriz Méndez from CENER, and the project manager, Eduardo Fernández from CENER, led the first presentation (WP1) where they provided an overview of the progress and status of the project regarding time passed, budget used, deliverables and milestones submitted. WP2, led by Charlotte Bay Hassanger, delved into the experimental wind sites, discussing the advancements in data collection and instrumentation. The assembly then explored WP3, highlighting the development and extension of numerical models for wind energy. Ásta Hannesdóttir spearheaded the following session (WP4) focused on the toolbox design and current status. Hassan Kassan offered insights into the long-term activities for the economic impact evaluation of wind farms (WP5), laying the groundwork for future assessments and strategic planning. The focus of WP6, led by Beatriz, was on the design of solutions to produce more efficient and durable wind turbine blades under real atmospheric conditions. Finally, WP7, led by Laia Mencia, provided an insightful update on the progress of AIRE’s Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation (C&D&E) efforts.
Sibling project contribution
Additionally, the assembly benefited from insights into the sibling project, FLOW, with Mikael Sjöholm from DTU discussing the Knowledge Hub Development and the high-fidelity simulations and their collaboration with AIRE and MERIDIONAL. Mikael also discussed their measurement campaigns and displayed their wind sites, offering a short summary of their working models and tools integration and validation.
Discovering DTU’s facilities
A significant highlight of the General Assembly was the guided tour of the project’s experimental facilities and wind tunnel, scheduled post-lunch. This exclusive visit offered attendees a firsthand look at the innovative technology and infrastructure of DTU. This visit was at the hands of Christian Bak (DTU) who showed us how the wind tunnel works, took us inside it and showed us the current work they were doing.
Conclusions
The third General Assembly has marked a significant milestone in our journey towards [advancing energy efficiency]. This assembly was pivotal for reviewing progress, refining strategies, and advancing the collaborative fabric and alignment on shared objectives. Funded by the European Union under the Horizon program, the AIRE project embodies a commitment to innovation and sustainability in the wind energy sector. We extend our sincere thanks to all the partners, as their contributions have been instrumental in the project’s advancements. Their expertise and dedication are the cornerstones upon which the project continues to build a sustainable and innovative future in wind energy.
AUTHOR: Laia Mencia & Lucia Salinas
EDITORIAL: Laia Mencia & Lucia Salinas
February, 2024
