Vestas is set to install its V236-15MW offshore prototype wind turbine at the Østerild National test centre for large wind turbines in Western Jutland, Denmark.
Østerild facility is managed by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) for testing of offshore wind turbines with a height of up to 330m, and is located near the town of Thisted.
The wind turbine manufacturer has already started developing components of the prototype at its R&D and production sites in Denmark.
It is planning to install the prototype turbine in the second half of 2022 and its first kWh production is planned for the fourth quarter.
Once installed, the prototype is the tallest and most powerful wind turbine in the world, with over 280m height and a production output of 80GWh/year, said the company.
Vestas chief technology officer Anders Nielsen said: “Colleagues across Vestas have worked very hard and collaborated closely to ensure the rapid progress in developing and assembling the V236-15.0MW prototype.
“Getting the prototype turbine in the ground will underline how the V236-15.0MW will raise the bar in terms of technological innovation, industrialisation and scale in the wind energy industry”.
Vestas is developing blade moulds at its blade factory in Lem and the 115.5m long prototype blades will be manufactured at its offshore blade factory in Nakskov, later this year.
The nacelles will be developed and assembled at the company’s offshore nacelle factory in Lindø port of Odense, Denmark.
All the large components of the turbine are planned to be preassembled and transported to Østerild, for installation.
The prototype will be installed onshore to facilitate testing before the installation, and the primary components will be tested and verified at the company’s and its test facilities.
Vestas has launched the V236-15.0MW turbine in February 2021, and secured its first pre-selected tenderer for the turbine in July 2021, for the 900MW He Dreiht project in Germany.
The company said that the V235-15.0 MW delivers superior performance while reducing the number of turbines at park level, produces 65% more energy than V174-9.5MW.
The turbine generates around 80GWh/year capacity, which is adequate to power around 20,000 households in Europe, and offsets more than 38,000 tonnes of CO2, per annum.
In the initial period of operations, the company will collect data needed to achieve a Type Certificate, in order to begin serial production of the turbine in 2024.
