Vestas, the Danish wind turbine company that pulled out of the UK manufacturing market 18 months ago, has confirmed that it will begin building its biggest ever blade in the UK next year.
The prototype seven-megawatt (MW) turbine has been specifically designed to withstand the roughest
offshore conditions. It stands 187 metres tall from seabed to tip, and has a rotor diameter of 164 metres. The 80 metre long
blade, which measures the length of nine double-decker London Routemaster buses, is to be built at
Vestas new blade
R&D centre on the
Isle of Wight with the construction of the first prototype set for the end of the 2012.
Manufacturing plans
Unveiling plans for the new offshore turbine in London, yesterday, Vestas ceo Ditlev Engel said the company was commitment to the Northern Europe offshore wind market and encouraged by the development of the industry in the UK. However, no decision has yet been taken by the company on whether it will open a manufacturing plant in the UK for the
V164-7.0 MW, which is set to go into production in early 2015 if enough orders are forthcoming.
"We are very pleased to be able to serve the market and show our commitment to the offshore wind industry by introducing our dedicated offshore turbine - the V164-7.0 MW," said Engel. "Seeing the positive indications from governments worldwide, and especially from the UK, to increase the utilisation of wind energy is indeed very promising. We look forward to this new turbine doing its part in making these political targets a reality."
Vestas has a 65 per cent share of the UK offshore market, but doesn’t currently manufacturer any turbines in the UK. It closed its last manufacturing plant on the Isle of Wight in August 2009, where it produced onshore wind turbine blades for the export market.
Round 3 projects
Its turbine, unveiled this week, however, would be built in time for the new round of British offshore farms planned under Round 3 of the UK’s licensing system.
"We expect the major part of offshore wind development to happen in the Northern part of Europe, where the conditions at sea are particularly rough," said Anders Søe-Jensen, president of Vestas Offshore. "We have specifically designed the V164-7.0 MW to provide the highest energy capture and the highest reliability in this rough and challenging environment. This makes our new turbine an obvious and ideal choice for instance for many UK Round 3 projects."
Business case
Yesterday, Vestas made the business case for the giant wind turbine saying it offered the lowest energy costs to the customer while at the same time combining
innovation with proven technology.
"Offshore wind customers do not want new and untested solutions. They want reliability and business case certainty – and that is what the V164-7.0 MW gives them," said Finn Strøm Madsen, president of Vestas Technology R&D.
A recent study by the Energy Technology Institute found that vertical axis turbines could provide an alternative to conventional offshore wind turbines, because they could run more efficiently.
Offshore wind trade body, RenewableUK, welcomed Vestas plans this week. "This is a vote of confidence in the offshore wind sector, and if the conditions are right could bring significant investment to the UK," said RenewableUK’s director of Policy, Dr Gordon Edge.
Vestas’ announcement follows pledges by Siemens earlier this year to build an offshore wind turbine factory in the UK.
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