Spanish renewables technology company Gamesa has taken a step towards its first offshore wind turbine deployment by shipping components for its 5MW marine machine from the port of Bilbao to the Canary Islands.
Next step will be to transport everything and to erect the G128 class turbine at the Arinaga Quay in the port of Gran Canaria. The load comprises:
- A set of 62.5m blades, manufactured at a Gamesa plant in Aoiz (Navarre). Weighing in at 15 tonnes each, they are the largest turbine blades ever produced and transported in Spain and are among the largest manufactured in Europe.
- A 72-tonne nacelle, manufactured at the Tauste (Zaragoza) factory.
- A nearly-90m tower, which was fabricated by Windar (a joint venture between Gamesa and Daniel Alonso).
Gamesa says it expects the turbine to begin operating late summer/early autumn this year and to secure certification within months.
Certification will enable Gamesa to install an initial series of the turbine next year.
In addition to the 5MW machine, the Spanish company plans to develop 7MW and 8MW maritime turbines in the “medium to long-term”.
Gamesa achieved design certification for the 5MW offshore turbine late last year from DNV. This endorsement is seen by the company as a “major leap forward” in the system’s development, “as a guarantee of the turbine’s launch, commercial roll-out and manufacture in coming years”.
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