Turbine manufacturer Vestas claims to have elevated the “industry benchmark for performance and continued cost reduction” with the launch of its new product.
The Danish wind turbine manufacturer’s V236-15.0 megawatt (MW) model will have the “world’s largest” swept area, exceeding 43,000 metres squared.
It will be capable of producing around 80 gigawatt hours (GWh) of green energy every year, enough to power around 20,000 households and saving more than 38,000 tonnes of CO2, Vestas said.
The launch forms part of the firm’s goal to become a leader in offshore wind and follow the acquisition of MHI Vestas Offshore, its joint venture with Japan’s Mitsubishi, last month.
The V236-15.0 MW builds on design synergies used in existing turbines, such as the 9 MW and EnVentus.
According to Vestas, it also expands the industrialisation of turbine design through a “modular approach to scale components”.
The offshore turbine offers 65% higher annual energy production than its predecessor the V174-9.5 MW. For a 900 MW wind farm it boosts production by 5% with 34 fewer turbines.
The first V236-15.0 MW prototype is expected to be installed next year, while serial production is scheduled for 2024.
Henrik Andersen, Vestas president and CEO, said: “Introducing our new offshore platform is a huge achievement for everyone at Vestas, as it marks 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 by lowering levelised cost of energy thus making our customers more competitive in offshore tenders going forward.”
Anders Nielsen, Vestas chief technology officer, added: “With the V236-15.0 MW, we raise the bar in terms of technological innovation and industrialisation in the wind energy industry, in favor 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. The new offshore platform forms a solid foundation for future products and upgrades”.
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