MODEOL project aims to improve the technological response to the current challenges faced by the wind turbine industry. It is made up of seven leading Basque companies that supply wind turbine components, including the leader of the Laulagun Bearings project as well as the energy cluster. By means of the project, the companies seek to improve and add value to the services they currently provide to their customers by developing advanced modules using state-of-the-art technology.
The project is an R&D venture financed by the Basque Government’s Department of Economic Development and Infrastructures through the Hazitek programme, where the participating companies combine their experience to optimise the modules that the project has focused on by working at a system level rather than at a component level.
MODEOL was born two years ago, as the basis for a debate on the wind turbine industry as well as on green energy. The debate revealed the strong competition between the main energy sources and between the turbine manufacturers themselves. This may lead to a significant industry benchmark change, which could be addressed by developing a modularisation strategy. It could also lead to an increase in the research and development capacities of Basque companies.
As a result, the participating companies have developed new capabilities in terms of advanced system design methodologies, which may allow them to work with manufacturers in the future at earlier stages of the design of new wind turbines.
“Know-how” and knowledge
Moving forward, the project aims to continue offering solutions to the challenges that the wind turbine industry is experiencing. This is where companies, such as HINE Group, Erreka, Wec, Antec, Intza and Glual work together with Laulagun Bearings, by combining their know-how and knowledge in the industry.
This project will be presented at the Wind Europe Congress to be held between tomorrow and Thursday (2-4 April) in Bilbao. Aitor Zurutuza, from Laulagun Bearings, will deliver a speech on MODEOL’s advances in the session “Next generation components for wind turbines”. This will take place on Wednesday, April 3, from 16:15.
