Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas will install a prototype of its giant 15 MW offshore wind turbine at the Østerild National test center for large wind turbines in Western Jutland, Denmark.
Vestas will install the prototype at the test center in the second half of 2022. The turbine's first kWh is planned for the fourth quarter of that year.
"Stretching 280m into the air with a production output of 80 GWh/year, the prototype will be the tallest and most powerful wind turbine in the world once installed," Vestas said.
According to the company, the prototype development work has already progressed across Vestas’ R&D and production sites in Denmark.
The blade moulds have been developed at Vestas’ blade factory in Lem and the 115.5m long prototype blades will begin manufacturing later this year at Vestas’ offshore blade factory in Nakskov. The nacelle will be developed and assembled at the offshore nacelle factory in Lindø port of Odense. All large components will be preassembled and transported to Østerild, where the installation will take place.
"The prototype will be installed onshore to facilitate easy access for testing prior to installation, and the main prototype components will already have undergone thorough testing and verification at Vestas’ and our partners’ test facilities. During the initial period of operations, Vestas will collect data needed to obtain a Type Certificate, which is a key step in reaching serial production of the turbine in 2024," Vestas said.
"With a swept area exceeding 43,000 m2, the V236-15.0 MW delivers industry-leading performance and moves the boundaries of wind energy production to around 80 GWh/year, enough to power around 20,000 European households and displace more than 38,000 tonnes of CO2, which is the equivalent to removing 25,000 passenger cars from the road every year," Vestas added.
Vestas has explained how the 15MW offshore wind turbine can strengthen a wind farm project's business case.
According to the Danish firm, the 15MW offshore turbine offers 65 percent higher annual energy production than its V174-9.5 MW, and for a 900 MW wind farm it increases production by five percent with 34 fewer turbines.
"It offers excellent partial-load production, resulting in a more stable energy production, and a capacity factor over 60 percent depending on site-specific conditions," Vestas said.
Back in February 2021, Vestas first announced it would launch the giant wind turbine. It has since also secured a pre-selected tenderer status for the V236-15.0 MW turbine in July 2021 for EnBW’s 900 MW He Dreiht project in Germany.
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