A birthday gift for NTNU's centennial
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim will receive one of the world’s leading experts on wind power as a birthday gift from Det Norske Veritas (DNV). NTNU will celebrate its centennial this fall.
NTNU and DNV have collaborated for many years. In 2008, a five-year agreement was established, and DNV spends more than NOK 10 million annually on research at NTNU.
This money now funds three full professorships and six professors of Affiliated (professor II) in the Arctic technology, marine transportation, renewable and green energy, and integrated operations (IO) in the petroleum industry.
In NTNU’s centennial year, DNV has chosen to give a special gift that is worth a total of NOK 3.6 million. It is about three guest professorships in selected fields.
Professor Olimpo Anaya-Lara from University of Strathclyde in Scotland will join NTNU with the new grant. He is one of the United Kingdom’s and the world’s leading experts on wind power. In May, Dr. Anaya-Lara gave a guest lecture at NTNU, and spoke about the challenges we face as future energy systems to be established. These are complex systems where the energy will come from many different sources with varying output. For example, the performance of wind farms are literally being controlled by the weather. And when changes occur somewhere in the energy system as it will affect other parts of the system.
“It is crucial that we understand these relationships. If we do that, we need scientists collaborate closely across traditional disciplines,” says Dr. Anaya-Lara. He will work specifically to connect the strong research groups at NTNU, together with research groups in the UK and other countries.
Cooperation with the United Kingdom is particularly interesting because the country are betting on huge wind farms offshore. In 2020, approximately 10,000 wind turbines will be in operation in the United Kingdom. DNV was on their side early on to invest in wind power. The group now has commitments for 65 percent of the world wind power developments offshore.
At NTNU, the past year has been dedicated to building expertise in wind energy technology, both onshore and offshore.
“NTNU has a very good position to participate in the forefront in the development of wind farms offshore. The gift from DNV gives us an opportunity, among other things, to connect new offshore-based technology with the right solutions in traditional wind technology, “says NTNU Professor Geir Moe.
Dr. Anaya-Lara will be in Trondheim until Fall 2011. Here he will have his work at the Norwegian Research Center for the offshore wind technology (Nowitech), led by SINTEF. This is one of research centers that is part of the government’s NOK 1 billion investment in renewable energy research centers for environmentally friendly energy (FME).
The monetary gift from DNV also provides funds for two other guest professorships. Theme and candidates for these will be announced later in 2010. The guest professors will work in areas that will benefit NTNU and DNV.
“For DNV, it is important that NTNU selects professors who are world experts in their selected feild. We hope the guest professors will help to raise the environment, and we look forward to seeing the results,” says research director Elisabeth Harstad in Det Norske Veritas.
