German research institution Fraunhofer IWES is to build a new test bench that will put giant turbine blades through their paces.
Construction of the facility, which will be located in Bremerhaven, will start this year with operations pegged to get underway in 2021.
The test-bench, the second phase of a blade testing programme, will allow for full-scale testing of up to 115-metre blades as well as segment and component tests.
The core of the facility will be a new test block measuring 11 meters by 11 metres and with the option of being extended to suit higher blade lengths in future.
Fraunhofer IWES has secured €12m in funding for the project including from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
“Large independent test facilities are a major enabler for our upcoming developments of large offshore turbines,” said MHI Vestas senior project manager Flemming Klocker Grove.
“New concepts such as component testing and segment testing of blades are extremely interesting for us.”
Head of Fraunhofer blade tests Steffen Czichon added: “It’s not just about testing longer blades – we also want to test more intelligently and expand our position as a leading institute for rotor blade tests.”