AkzoNobel opens world’s first wind turbine blade testing facility

AkzoNobel has opened the world’s first purpose-built wind turbine blade testing facility at its Felling site in the UK, capable of simulating speeds at half the speed of sound.

The multi-million euro investment will support the growth of the company’s International protective coatings brand, which provides coatings for wind farms around the world.

The new facility can simulate severe weather conditions around the world, allowing researchers to triple the number of rain erosion tests they can conduct each week. This so-called “helicopter” test is capable of running at 176 meters per second at full speed.

Ralph Slikkerveer, Director of Research and Development for AkzoNobel’s Marine and Protective Coatings business, said:"Today marks an exciting new chapter in our long history of supporting sustainable innovation and product development. Bringing this world-class testing in-house, where we can generate data immediately, analyse results and extend testing periods, will revolutionise our contribution to innovation in the wind energy sector. As one of the market leaders, we will be able to participate in the life prediction discussion for protective coating systems on wind turbine blades in a more meaningful way."

To support ultra-high-speed testing, the new facility is equipped with a 1,000-liter water recovery tank. During testing, the water flow rate as well as the water and air temperatures can be adjusted as needed.

"The protective coatings we will be testing will help future-proof our customers' blades to withstand the most extreme weather conditions," added Slikkerveer. "We will now be able to conduct more cost-effective accelerated testing of new products, providing our customers with the best solutions as global investment in wind power projects continues to grow. This is further proof that AkzoNobel is setting industry standards by continuously expanding its portfolio of game-changing products and technologies through sustainability-driven innovation."

The Felling site has been producing International products since 1904 and has become the brand’s global research and development center. AkzoNobel is currently the only paint and coatings company in the world that can provide complete solutions for wind turbines from blade tip to foundation, with more than 80,000 wind energy installations worldwide using the coatings.