Wind energy – prototype turbine
Vestas will install a huge 15 MW offshore wind turbine prototype at the Østerild National Test Center for large wind turbines in West Jutland, Denmark.
The prototype will be installed in late 2022. The first kWh of turbines is planned for the fourth quarter of the year.
“With 80GWh / year production and 280m in the air, the prototype will be the tallest and most powerful wind turbine in the world after it is installed,” said Vestas.
According to the company, prototype development work is already underway across Vestas’ R & D and production sites in Denmark.
The blade mold is being developed at the Vestas blade plant in Rem, and the 115.5m long prototype blade will begin production later this year at the Vestas offshore blade plant in Nakskov. Nacelle will be developed and assembled at the offshore Anacell plant in Odense’s Port of Lind. All large components are pre-assembled and shipped to Østerild where the installation takes place.
“Prototypes are installed on land for easy access to pre-installation testing. Key prototype components have already been thoroughly tested and validated at Vestas and partner testing facilities. During the initial period, Vestas will collect the data needed to obtain type certification, which is an important step in reaching continuous production of turbines in 2024.”
“Sweep area exceeds 43,000m2The V236-15.0 MW provides industry-leading performance and moves the boundaries of wind energy production to around 80 GWh / year. This is enough to power about 20,000 households in Europe and emit over 38,000 tons of CO2. This is equivalent to eliminating 25,000 passengers. We carry cars from the road every year.”
Vestas explained how a 15 MW offshore wind turbine can enhance the business case of a wind farm project.
According to a Danish company, a 15 MW offshore turbine will provide 65% higher annual energy production than the V174-9.5 MW, and a 900 MW wind farm will increase production by 5% with 34 fewer turbines.
“It provides excellent partial load production, more stable energy production, and capacity factor of over 60 percent, depending on site-specific conditions,” says Vestas.
In February 2021, Vestas announced that it would launch the first giant wind turbine. Since then, it has secured pre-selected bid status for the V236-15.0 MW turbine for EnBW’s 900 MW He Dreiht project in Germany in July 2021.