Vestas has unveiled a 15-MW offshore wind turbine, the V236-15.0 MW, which it expects to be “highly competitive” in tenders from 2021 onwards
Vestas president and chief executive Henrik Andersen said, “Introducing our new offshore platform is a huge achievement for everyone at Vestas and is a big leap forward in a very important journey.
“As a global renewables leader, every decision Vestas takes today must be in service of building scale for renewables in the future – only by doing this can we ensure a more sustainable future energy system.
“Offshore wind will play an integral role in the growth of wind energy and the V236-15.0 MW will be a driver in this development, reducing the levelised cost of energy, making our customers more competitive in offshore tenders going forward.”
Vestas said the V236-15.0 MW “will continue to harness design synergies from existing turbine platforms, such as its 9-MW unit and its EnVentus platforms.”
It said it will also expand the industrialisation of turbine design through a modular approach to scaling components.
Vestas chief technology officer Anders Nielsen said, “With the V236-15.0 MW we are raising the bar in terms of technological innovation and industrialisation, in favour of building scale.
“By leveraging Vestas’ extensive proven technology, the new platform combines innovation with certainty to offer industry-leading performance while reaping the benefits of building on the supply chain of our entire product portfolio.”
Mr Nielsen said the new offshore platform “forms a solid foundation for future products and upgrades,” which strongly suggests it will be capable of more than 15 MW in due course.
With what will be the largest swept area of any turbine, more than 43,000 m2, the V236-15.0 MW will deliver around 80 GWh/year, enough to power around 20,000 European households and save more than 38,000 tonnes of CO2.
Combining the wind industry’s largest rotor with the highest nominal rating, it is designed to deliver excellent performance while reducing the number of turbines in a windfarm, strengthening the project business case.
The turbine offers 65% higher annual energy production than the V174-9.5 MW, and for a 900-MW offshore windfarm boosts production by 5% with 34 fewer turbines.
It also offers excellent partial-load production, resulting in more stable energy production, and a capacity factor of in excess of 60%, depending on site-specific conditions.
The first V236-15.0 MW prototype is expected to be installed in 2022, with series production scheduled for 2024.
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.