Siemens Gamesa is transporting a nacelle from its facility in Brande, Denmark, to the Østerild wind turbine test centre, a company spokesperson confirmed to offshoreWIND.biz . The spokesperson declined to reveal any specifics about the wind turbine but Danish media writes that it is the new prototype which Bloomberg reported earlier this year to have a capacity of 21 MW.
DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) reported on 6 December that lamp-posts and traffic signs were being dismantled, and roundabouts widened last week to make room for an 11×11-metre nacelle to pass through on its way to Hvide Sande, starting last Friday. From there, the nacelle will be shipped to Hanstholm and then transported to Østerild, where it will be mounted on an already installed 170-metre tower, according to DR.
In June, Bloomberg reported sources familiar with the matter said that Siemens Energy had told customers it planned to build the largest wind turbine in the world by the end of the decade and the new offshore model would have an output of 21 MW, 40 per cent more than Siemens Gamesa’s current largest turbine, the 14 MW platform that can reach up to 15 MW with the company’s feature called Power Boost.
Siemens Gamesa said in a statement: “The installation in Oesterild, Denmark, is a test facility partly funded by the European Commission. We will only decide whether we will ultimately install a new product in a commercial project after careful testing. However, we fundamentally believe in the offshore market and the expansion of capacities at sea must be implemented quickly and consistently to reach the ambitious climate targets. Our 14 MW turbine has everything it needs for that.”
At the beginning of this year, the wind turbine manufacturer received a EUR 30 million grant from the EU for a project called Highly Innovative Prototype of the most Powerful Offshore Wind turbine generator (HIPPOW).
According to the EU document on the grant award, the project involves the installation, operation, and testing of “the world’s most powerful wind turbine prototype” at the Østerild National Test Centre in Denmark to validate new technological developments and obtain necessary certifications before starting full-scale production.
The work on the prototype already started in April 2024, according to the EU document , and under the project partly funded by the EU, Siemens Gamesa will build and install the new wind turbine for testing by 31 December 2024.
Aside from testing one of the world’s most powerful wind turbines, the HIPPOW project also includes Siemens Gamesa demonstrating innovations implemented in both the product and installation process.
The technologies are related to the nominal power, bearings, electrical system, installation of blades and tower, cooling system, and maintenance strategy, among others and offer more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective solutions, according to information on Siemens Gamesa’s website.