American Superconductor takes stake in Blade Dynamics

Founded in 2007, Blade Dynamics has developed wind-turbine-blade technologies designed to increase the efficiency and performance of very high power (multi-megawatt) wind turbines, while also reducing costs. The Dow Chemical Company, through its venture capital group, has also made a minority equity investment in the company.

In addition to providing American Superconductor Windtec licensees with a differentiated blade offering, the company expects that its investment could expand its sales opportunities with other wind-turbine manufacturers around the world. It also expects that Blade Dynamics’ technology will provide a blade that could be used with its 10MW SeaTitan superconductor wind turbines.

Blade Dynamics also recently announced that it plans to establish and operate a manufacturing facility in New Orleans with the help of an incentive package from Louisiana Economic Development (LED). The incentive package, worth up to $30m, is contingent on the company meeting certain capital-investment and job-creation milestones.

Located at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Michoud Assembly Facility, the Blade Dynamics operation is expected to add at least 600 direct new jobs to the local economy over the next decade.