With the help of the Japanese machinery maker Mitsubish, Vestas Wind Systems hopes to build the world’s largest offshore wind turbine that would have a capacity of 8 megawatts – 30 percent more powerful than the largest turbine currently available, Bloomberg reported.
Vestas is the world’s largest maker of wind turbines, the article stated, and has received the majority of orders for turbines for wind farms throughout Europe, specifically in Germany, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The company is currently in talks with Mitsubishi about developing the large turbine.
It is on the Vestas website that the development is on schedule and many of the components have been built.
“We are getting closer to installation of the prototype every day, and it is very satisfying to see the first major parts of the V164-8.0 MW under completion. This turbine is truly going to be a game changer. When you stand beside the blade mould for the 80 metre long blades you can really sense the scale of the turbine,” says Executive Vice President and CTO, Anders Vedel.
The blade mould for the 80 metres long blade is located at Vestas’ facility in the Isle of Wight, UK. The production of the first blade for testing purposes will be initiated here during Q4 2012 and tested from Q1 2013. The prototype hub has been casted, and is also located in the Isle of Wight ready for testing.
“As we progressed in the technology development it was clear that an 8 MW version of the turbine will offer lower cost of energy and at the same time keep the reliability and structural integrity of the turbine unchanged,” says Anders Vedel.
In a separate report by RE News, the Danish utility Dong will test drive the prototype Vestas V164-8MW offshore wind turbine at an onshore site in Denmark rather than pursuing original plans for offshore deployment at Frederikshavn off northeast Jutland.
EiD understands that installing new turbines on land is exceedingly difficult and so upscaling the existing turbines is a better strategy.
