Vestas has expanded its EnVentus platform with a variant capable of increased annual energy production (AEP) in low-to-medium wind conditions.
The V172-7.2MW turbine delivers a 12% increase in AEP compared with the V162-6.2MW variant in low wind conditions.
Vestas is also changing the existing medium-to-high wind EnVentus variant V162-6.8MW to a 7.2MW name plate.
The new variant delivers flexible power ratings of 7.2MW, 6.8MW and 6.5MW and offers expanded site applicability for all conditions, with solutions for cold climate and an optional larger CoolerTop for hot climates.
Vestas chief technology officer Anders Nielsen said: “Enabling maturity and scalable growth are central to our technological ambitions at Vestas.
“The V172-7.2MW demonstrates how our modular product development can enable customisable solutions, suited to any environment.
“It’s also a signal for how we can support our customers as a long-term partner through the imminent energy transformation, able to meet their needs today, as well as in the future.”
The V172-7.2MW will be based on Vestas’ new modularised nacelle architecture, where the nacelle structure is divided into compartments that are dimensionally designed to improve logistics and provide flexibility over the turbine’s operational lifetime.
The variant will also establish closer alignment between Vestas’ onshore and offshore platforms, as both the V172-7.2MW and the V162-7.2MW share the modularised nacelle architecture with the Vestas offshore V236-15.0MW unit.
The EnVentus platform now includes four different wind turbine variants and Vestas has secured orders for more than 6GW across 14 different markets on four continents since the platform’s launch in 2019.