§ Mr. Murphyasked the Secretary of State for Energy what encouragement his Department is giving to the development of wind-driven turbines for generating electricity by British companies; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithMy Department has to date committed some £8 million of its research and development budget to the support of two groups of major British companies developing wind turbine generators of advanced design. These groups are:
In addition, my Department is supporting a broad programme of generic studies, the results of which will provide valuable information to British companies active in the wind turbine generator field.
- (a) The Wind Energy Group (WEG) comprising Taylor Woodrow Construction Ltd., British Aerospace Dynamics Group and GEC Power Engineering Ltd. WECi is about to submit for my approval the detailed design of a 60-metre diameter, 3MW horizontal axis wind turbine generator for the North of Scotland Hydro Board site on Orkney.
- (b) Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) which is an associate company of Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd., NEI Cranes Ltd. and Engineering and Power Development Consultants Ltd., are currently constructing a prototype 25-metre 160kW vertical axis aerogenerator of novel design for a site at Carmarthen bay which has been provided by the Central Electricity Generating Board.