GE Renewable Energy has begun the operation of its Haliade-X turbine prototype optimised with a 13MW power output.
In the coming months the prototype will undergo a series of tests to perform different types of measurements and obtain its type certificate in the coming months.
The Haliade-X 13MW is an up-rated version of the prototype that has been successfully operating in Rotterdam since November 2019.
The turbine recently secured its provisional type certificates and set a new world record by generating 288 megawatt-hours in one single day.
This uprated 13 MW Haliade-X version will continue to feature 107-metre long blades and a 220-metre rotor and will be able to generate 4% more annual energy production (AEP) than the previous 12MW version of the prototype.
GE Renewable Energy chief technology officer Vincent Schellings said: “With three years in the making, the Haliade-X platform has proven to be a successful story.
“Combined with almost 5GW of customer commitments and an international testing and R&D programme, the 13MW uprated version is a true testament of how we continue to innovate and develop our Haliade-X technology to address our customers’ needs.”
The Haliade-X 13MW offshore wind turbine will be used in the first two phases of UK’s Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, with a total of 190 units to be installed starting in 2023.
This will mark the first installation of the world’s most powerful wind turbine in operation to date at what will be the world’s biggest offshore wind farm.
The Haliade-X has also been selected as the preferred wind turbine for the 120MW Skipjack and 1100MW Ocean Wind projects in the US.
The Haliade-X platform serial production will kick off in the second half of 2021 at GE’s Saint-Nazaire factory in France.