The Atkins designed Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) made history on Friday as the turbines on this pioneering project turned together for the first time. The three 29m-diameter turbine blades on Bahrain's iconic landmark are the first in the world to be integrated on such a scale into a commercial development and are forecast to provide the equivalent of 11-15 percent of the power for the two towers when fully operational. The successful rotation of the blades involved collaboration between Atkins architects and engineers and turbine specialists Norwin, who were in Bahrain for the milestone event. The BWTC design blends maritime aesthetics with the functionality of traditional wind-towers. The visually striking sail-shaped towers form a commanding silhouette on the skyline of Manama, and serve to channel the strong on-shore winds directly onto the three spinning blades. Incorporating large-scale turbines onto a building is a world first and during the upcoming months the turbines will undergo detailed analysis and optimization by turbine specialists Norwin to determine their actual generating potential. The turbines are expected to operate approximately 50 percent of the time. The BWTC project has received international acclaim for its commitment to sustainable development, being awarded LEAF Awards 2006 for ‘Best Use of Technology within a Large Scheme' and recently the Arab Construction World ‘Sustainable Design Award'. The newly constructed Bahrain World Trade Center in Manama, Bahrain is the first high rise to integrate wind turbines. The unique design funnels an onshore prevailing wind from the ocean across three 100-foot-diameter wind turbines suspended between two towers. Engineers say they expect the turbines, which were approximately 3.5 percent of the center's total cost, to produce 15 percent of it's electric power. “Having all three turbines spinning simultaneously represents an historic achievement for this landmark project and Atkins is excited to have been a major player in turning the original idea into reality” says Simha LytheRao Senior Project Manager for Atkins in Bahrain. “The use of established technologies, including type-tested turbines with minimal modifications, ensured that the additional cost incurred by incorporating turbines into the project was reduced to around 3.5 percent of the overall project value, the turbines are expected to operate approximately 50 percent of the time. Separately, Bahrain-based Gulf Finance House (GFH), a specialist in innovative economic infrastructure initiatives, in collaboration with the government of Kazakhstan and PFC Energy International, has announced plans for the latest $10 billion project in its “Energy City” series - the Caspian Energy Hub (CEH), Kazakhstan. This project marks the entry of GFH and its clients into Kazakhstan. __
