Wind power in Europe

Press, 17 May 1984, Page 20

Wind power in Europe

By

John F. Webb,

By the year 2000, up to 10 per cent of Europe’s electricity could be produced by wind power. Turbines for this purpose are likely to be a major European industry. These conclusions are part of a new British review of wind energy which has just been endorsed by the European Community. Dr Peter Musgrove, of Reading University, near London, made his evaluation of wind energy for the community’s energy directorate in Brussels. In it he says that most industrialised countries no® have government-supported develop-

London Press Service

ment programmes for wind energy. Dr Musgrove’s review of 15 national wind programmes shows that the machines involved range in size from four megawatt generators with 80-metre diameter blades down to 30 kilowatt farm machines with 10-metre diameter blades. The latest trend is for medium-sized machines of about 75 kilowatt capacity to be grouped in wind farms of about 50 machines. ■s Dr Musgrove says small

machines use components that have already been well tested. Their reliability is therefore assured and costs are lowered by bulk production. Capital costs of wind machines are about £7OO (JNZISOO) per kilowatt of capacity. They can now produce electricity at a cost of two to three pence per unit, which includes maintenance costs and a five per cent real rate of return on investment. Dr Musgrove has recommended to the community that it should establish a wind complex of some 40 medium-sized, 250-kilowatt machines on a favourable site.