The prototype of the Vestas V236, a 15MW wind turbine, was recently installed at the Østerild National test centre for large wind turbines in western Jutland, Denmark, and spun to make its first kWh of power, the manufacturer said in a press release. This is currently the world's most powerful wind turbine installed.
As the world looks to move away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energies, wind turbines are rapidly becoming a popular choice for many countries. The advantages of picking wind over solar are manifold since wind farms can be set up without sacrificing land available for agriculture and can also work to generate energy around the clock.
Build bigger wind turbines that can cover larger seep areas
For countries that have limited land mass but extensive territorial waters, wind turbines can help tap into sea winds, and technologies like floating wind farms are easing the hurdles in commissioning them. On their part, manufacturers are looking to build bigger wind turbines that can cover larger seep areas and reduce the number of installations needed for a wind farm of a certain capacity.
Denmark-based Vestas Wind Systems has been in the wind energy business for more than half a century. As the provider of wind turbines to 88 countries and with more than 160 GW capacities installed, Vestas is now leading the way towards making the next generation of wind turbines with higher power generation efficiencies.
Announced in February of 2021, the V236 is a 15MW turbine with a sweeping area that exceeds 43,743 sq m. The diameter of the turbine rotor is 236m and the turbine assembly stands at an astonishing 280m, nearly the same as the Trump building on Wall Street, New York.
The 115.5m long turbine blades have been manufactured at Vestas’ blade factory in Nakskov, Denmark, and a single turbine is capable of delivering 80GWh of energy every year. This would be sufficient to power 20,000 European households and prevent 38,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere every year, the press release added.
The V236 turbine will now undergo extensive testing and verification before it receives full-type certification and serial production can begin.
"This is a great step forward in our ambition to accelerate the green energy transition, and it is a major milestone for Vestas and our partners," said Anders Nielsen, chief technology officer at Vestas.
"Colleagues across Vestas have worked very hard to ensure rapid progress in developing and assembling the V236-15.0MW prototype. With this wind turbine, we set new standards for technological innovation, industrialisation, and scale across renewable energy to create a sustainable offshore wind industry.”