Electricity - Suddenly scarce and expensive

Floating vertical wind turbine

Norwegian company World Wide Wind has developed a vertical wind turbine for use in the sea. The "Contra-Rotating Vertical Turbines" (CRVT) have two rotors, are said to be able to be built over 400 meters high and provide 40 megawatts of electricity in the long term. The lower rotor is fixed to the mast, while the upper one is attached to a shaft that runs inside the mast. They rotate in opposite directions to increase relative rotation speed and power output. The ballast, float and generator are located at the bottom of the turbine. The CRVTs do not require gearboxes, which should simplify construction and maintenance.