Scottish wind energy firm Edge Solutions has boosted its top team in advance of a £2m funding round.
The Dundee-based business has developed a patented technology which repairs and protects the leading edge of wind turbine blades from erosion – a significant issue for operational onshore and offshore wind farms.
The product is a custom-fitted modular shield, known as Armour Edge, which has been developed in tandem with Ineos using a bespoke version of its Luran SC thermoplastic material, designed specifically for wind turbine blades.
Edge Solutions now has a growing order book from wind farms across Europe, the US and Asia and is looking for new funds to expand the team and meet demand.
Earlier this year, the company closed a £1m Enterprise Investment Scheme round though existing and new private investors, and is now seeking to bring impact funds and corporate investors on board.
Edge Solutions is also working with a major manufacturer to explore the potential to factory-fit shields to new blades, which could disrupt the existing blade market by reducing the ongoing maintenance requirements on operational turbines.
The new hires are Stuart MacLean, a former senior partner corporate finance at law firm CMS, who becomes head of corporate development, and Richard Scullion, an ex-global marketing director for Palla Pharma, who is now head of business development.
“The business is growing much faster than expected,” said Scullion. “Leading edge erosion is a major issue for wind farm operators and we are now getting second and third orders from our early customers including RWE and Offshore-Windpark Riffgat.
“The feedback we are receiving is that Armour Edge is quick and easy to install, our US installer is now able to repair a 10-metre blade in a single day – which is much faster than expected and quicker than most of the current alternatives.
“This means less downtime and lost revenue for operators, plus the shields’ durability means a single install could last for decades.”
Edge Solutions has commissioned new research with a European wind industry test house to back up an earlier study by ORE Catapult which predicted a 50-year life span for the shields.
“The study has been commissioned at the request of a major blade manufacturer,” stated operations director Will Howell.
“They are interested in the potential to factory-fit the shields as a final step in the manufacturing process, significantly improving the erosion durability of new blades.
“We are also talking to potential customers in Australia and Latin America, meaning we can realistically expect to have a global order book by the year end.
“New funds will allow us the execute our current business plan and accelerate activity in the months ahead,” Howell concluded.
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