Date: 15-Feb-10

Country: NORWAY

Author: Wojciech Moskwa

OSLO - Norway will spend 137 million crowns ($23 million) to build what it says will be the world's biggest wind turbine with rotors 145 meters in diameter and producing 10 megawatts of electricity, green energy incubator Enova said.

The Norwegian-built turbine will be tested on land for two years before getting shipped out to the windy North Sea as part of the Sway project involving oil and gas producer Statoil, Norwegian utility Lyse and ship designer Inocean.

Unlike most offshore wind projects where turbines rest on the seafloor, Sway turbines float. That allows development further offshore where winds are stronger and more consistent.

"Sway has developed the concept with a view toward reducing turbine weight and the number of moving parts, as well as the use of a gearless generator system," Enova, set up to funnel public funds into green projects, said in a statement.

"The concept will result in higher energy generation for offshore wind power, and thus also lower operating costs."

Despite Norway's push into floating wind turbine technology, it has been slow in developing a system of subsidies for wind parks such as Britain.

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