GE Renewable Energy is to install the prototype of its 12MW Haliade-X offshore turbine in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The manufacturer is working with a joint venture of fabricator SIF Holdings and consultancy Pondera Development called Future Wind to install unit this summer.
The hardware will be installed onshore at a Sif-owned site at Maasvlakte at the port of Rotterdam in order to facilitate access for testing, GE said.
Initially, the manufacturer will collect data required to obtain type certification, which is a step to commercialisation of the turbine in 2021.
GE said that the deal with Future Wind includes five years of testing and a 15-year full service operation and maintenance agreement.
Work is already underway in Rotterdam to prepare the site for erection of the Haliade-X prototype, it added.
GE chief executive of offshore wind John Lavelle said: “As we rapidly progress on assembling the Haliade-X prototype, this announcement is a critical step forward for GE and our customers.
“The port of Rotterdam has been a real partner and provides all the necessary conditions to test the Haliade-X in the most drastic weather conditions.”
Sif Holding Netherlands chief executive Fred van Beers said: “We are very pleased to install the Haliade-X 12MW on the Sif site in Rotterdam, supporting Sif’s ambition to remain at the forefront of developments in the offshore wind industry.
“The project also fits Sif’s ambition to become entirely CO2 neutral as the Haliade-X 12MW will supply carbon-free energy to the electricity grid.”
Port of Rotterdam chief executive Allard Castelein said: “We are proud that GE Renewable Energy and Sif are using our port as a test location to develop the most powerful offshore wind turbine in the world.
“It confirms the port’s reputation and validates our focus on being an attractive partner for the offshore wind industry as it drives the energy transition.”
The nacelle for the Haliade-X is being assembled at a facility in Saint-Nazaire, while three 107-metre blades are under construction at LM Wind Power’s plant in Cherbourg, both in France.
Tower sections are being constructed by GRI Renewable Industries in Seville, Spain.
All the components will be shipped Rotterdam for pre-assembly and installation.
GE has produced a video outlining what the installed prototype will look like.