Business from technology

Wind power

Challenges

Wind power is one of the fastest growing areas of power production globally, contributing to the mitigation of climate change and to the diversification of energy supply. The Finnish wind technology industry has an important place in the global value chain. In the coming decade, the use of wind for electricity generation is likely to also emerge in Finland, requiring R&D to help deployment and address the technological challenges of Finnish climate conditions, especially offshore.

Competence

Wind energy R&D combines many fields of expertise within VTT and covers the whole value chain, from the development of technology for wind turbines and their components, to the deployment of wind energy and integration of wind energy into energy systems. One of the challenges is to develop technology and solutions suitable for the harsh Nordic environment and climate.

Wind energy deployment and wind in energy systems

Our R&D into wind energy production includes wind energy market assessment and feasibility studies for wind energy in the energy market. The production and failure statistics of wind power in Finland are maintained at VTT.

VTT is a member of the IEA Implementing Agreement on RD&D of Wind Energy. We are developing and using energy system models for wind integration to assess the integration impact of wind power, as well as to minimise the cost of system integration.

Wind technologies, materials and solutions

We are developing technologies and solutions for cold climate and offshore applications for wind turbines. To this end we have developed versatile modelling expertise from wind to electricity. We are developing solutions enabling innovative control functions for future wind turbines based on new materials and their application in wind turbines. This is supported by versatile laboratory and field testing facilities.

Tools and facilities

Our simulation tools include

• WAsP and CFD for wind resource assessment and studies,
  
• TURBICE to investigate icing of wind turbine blades
  
• ADAMS and Simulink wind turbine load and control analysis
  
• PSCAD/EMTDC and PSS/E for the simulation and study of wind turbine and farm behaviour as part of the electrical power system
  
• WILMAR for the simulation of the electricity markets on an hourly basis, capturing the effects of wind power variations and prediction errors
  

We have up-to-date field and laboratory testing facilities for wind turbine development, structural and performance measurements and verification. Icing wind tunnel. We are using anemometers, sonic anemometers and remote sensing technology for wind measurements.

Benefits

• CO2-free power generation technology
  
• Cost-effective wind power solutions for Nordic conditions
  
• Contribution to the RES directive
  
• Supporting the development of wind technology, as well as domestic and international business opportunities
  

References and merits

• Measurement campaigns: Högsåra, Lapland Olos, Pori, Oulu
  
• Wind power statistics for Finland
  
• EU projects on the large-scale integration of wind power: TradeWind, WILMAR
  
• EU project on developing wind turbine technology: UPWIND
  
• IEA research collaboration on Cold Climate Wind Power: Task 19
  
• IEA research collaboration on wind integration: Task 25, Task 24, Task 21
  
• Nordic research collaboration: NewNordicGrid, Climate and Energy