In a statement by Scottish Enterprise, the organisation will work with 2-B to build testing and demonstration facilities for 2014. Scottish Enterprise said it was looking at different funding mechanisms for the project although it was unable to reveal further details.
The 2-B turbine has a 6MW capacity and a rotor diameter of 140-metres. It also uses a lattice structure rather than a traditional tower.
Scottish Enterprise said it believes the turbine can reduce the cost of energy by up to 45%. In 2010, 2-B was been handed an exclusivity agreement by Crown Estate to develop a test site at the Methil wind farm, near the Fife Energy Park. Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG
Under the arrangement, 2-B will be funded through The Scottish Green Energy Centre and the EU Framework Programme 7 scheme.
Speaking about the deal, Scottish first minister Alex Salmond said: "2-B Energy is developing an innovative and exciting offshore wind turbine which has great potential to reduce costs for clean energy generators across Europe."
One advantage of two-bladed offshore turbines is that a nacelle with a two-bladed rotor combinations can be transported fully preassembled and pre-tested on a ship's deck to a wind farm construction site. After arrival, the assemblies can be hoisted on top of a installed tower in a single, time- and cost-saving operation.
However, the fact that two-bladed turbines are by nature aerodynamically unbalanced provides a major design challenge.
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