Wind power is generating more momentum

As China looks to develop more energy offshore, the UK is eager to share its expertise in developing turbine potential

US President Donald Trump has long had a problem with wind power. In 2012, he tweeted: "It's Friday. How many bald eagles did wind turbines kill today? They are an environmental & aesthetic disaster."

His opposition to wind power became more focused after he bought a golf course in Scotland in 2006 and objected to a proposal by the Swedish company Vattenfall to build 11 turbines off the coast, some of which could be seen from his course. In 2015, British judges rejected Trump's third attempt to stop the project. The turbines are expected to start generating electricity next year.

When Trump was elected, shares in Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas fell by 14 percent before rallying slightly. One analyst remarked that Trump hates wind turbines and will do what he can to fight them.

Trump is currently losing his war on wind power. At the end of last year, the UK had 1,463 offshore turbines in operation. The ones that Trump can see when he tees off are 11 of a further 830 in the process of being built.

This week, 12 percent of the UK's energy was provided by offshore wind, and the UK's turbines account for 36 percent of the world's total. UK output is currently 5.1 gigawatts but is expected to rise beyond 10 gW.

China, the world leader in onshore wind power, is looking to develop more offshore wind power, and the UK is keen to share its expertise.

The cost of offshore wind is falling rapidly, and it has the added advantage that turbines can be placed close to China's major coastal cities. China generates 1.9 gW of power offshore but aims to increase that to 5 by 2020.

Earlier this month, Innovate UK announced it was funding the International Offshore Renewable Energy Research Platform to allow British and Chinese engineers to share expertise and solve problems that may be encountered in wind farm construction in the South China Sea.

James Battensby, an official at Offshore Renewable Energy, said the UK has a lot of experience in offshore technology and there is massive expansion in China. "It's a good opportunity to take our technology and know-how and use it internationally," he says.

The industry is developing fast and is forecast to provide energy that is cheaper than fossil fuels in the near future. The turbines have grown from a diameter of 50 meters in 2000 to 164 meters now. In the future, turbines could have a diameter as big as 250 meters.

The industry in the UK features major European companies in design, production and ownership. This year, the Norwegian company Statoil started operating the Hywind 11, the biggest floating wind farm, off the coast of Scotland. Floating turbines can be operated in much deeper water than conventional turbines.

As the industry grows, new problems emerge. Turbine stacks seem to offer a good environment for the growth of mussels. One stack was found to have 2 tons of mussels attached to it. One obvious solution would be to harvest them for human consumption, but it remains to be seen if the growth of the mussel population will affect other species and if they could produce excessive levels of methane that could further damage the environment.

Meanwhile, although Trump has continued to lobby British friends against the Scottish wind farms, he might have more influence in the United States.

The author is a senior editor at China Daily UK. Contact the writer at conal@mail.chinadailyuk.com

(China Daily European Weekly 11/24/2017 page11)