Scheduled for deployment in late 2011, Clipper’s 10 MW wind turbine is among the world’s largest under development. The Britannia will stand at 175 metres in height and, over its lifetime, is expected to displace the use of two million barrels of oil and offset the need to dispel 480,000 tons of CO2 into the earth’s atmosphere. Upon serial production the 10 MW turbines will be deployed initially in European waters.
"Clipper is actively encouraging the implementation of a high quality UK supply chain to facilitate the expansion of Project Britannia which will be built in the North East of England utilising a high content of local components and labour," said David Still, Managing Director of Clipper Wind power Marine Limited.
"We are pleased to be working with David Brown as we manufacture the first 10 MW gearbox. David Brown has a long and distinguished history of designing and manufacturing high integrity, innovative transmissions in both Defense and Energy sectors," Still added.
Geoff Charlson, CEO for David Brown, is excited about the opportunities this presents the company and the UK as a whole:
"We have a long history of working with power station operators to provide greater reliability and availability of plant in both conventional and the on-shore wind energy sectors in the UK, France, South Africa, Australia and China. This is a great opportunity for us to apply our hard won applications experience in the field of large off-shore wind turbine development," he said.
"We are delighted to be part of such an innovative project. It gives us the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to becoming a significant player in the UK renewables market, creating both long term jobs, whilst also retaining and building strong engineering and intellectual capability in the UK. And let’s not forget, the expertise built in association with Clipper will enable the UK to lead in accessing future off-shore wind opportunities globally."
David Brown Gears: A leading manufacturer of gearing products and services, David Brown has been providing engineering expertise to a range of industries worldwide for nearly 150 years.
Project Britannia will see David Brown employ their extensive engineering capabilities to develop and build highly specialised, innovative 10MW gear systems for the UK off-shore wind energy sector. This complements the range of David Brown renewable energy related activities, which include aftermarket upgrades for existing wind turbine gearboxes in operation, new on-shore wind gearbox manufacture and specialist, high accuracy azimuth drives for CSP (Concentrated Solar Power) projects.
From its sovereign foothold in traditional industries and equipped with strong expertise, experience and a passion for delivering applications led engineering solutions, David Brown is now quickly becoming the specialist for swift, effective and reliable engineering in the fast-growing wind turbine industry, aiming at a more than five-fold increase in revenue from the renewable sector by 2013.
Amid this ambitious drive to apply David Brown’s established engineering expertise to new and emerging technologies, a strong management team provides continuity and consistency from the company’s headquarters in Huddersfield, UK, and around the world.
Clipper Windpower Plc, www.clipperwind.com, is a company engaged in wind energy technology, turbine manufacturing, and wind project development. The Company designs advanced wind turbines, manufactures its 2.5 MW Liberty wind turbine, and actively develops wind power generating projects in the Americas and Europe. Clipper’s primary offices are in the United Kingdom and in California, USA. The Company’s 330,000 square foot manufacturing and assembly facility, located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is ISO9001:2000 QMS Certified. Clipper is a public company listed on AIM of the London Stock Exchange. Clipper’s ticker symbol is CWP.
