Siemens Gamesa will install and test what has been dubbed by the European Union as “the world’s most powerful offshore wind turbine prototype” at the østerild test centre in Denmark ahead of putting it into possible full-scale production.
The manufacturer did not confirm what rating the new turbine will have although it would certainly need to be larger than Vestas’s 15MW model to begin laying claim to being the most powerful.
The testing of the prototype is being supported by a 30 million euro grant from the European Union’s Innovation Fund. EU documents give an entry into service date of December 31 2024.
A spokesman for Siemens Gamesa said the company would only decide whether to install a new product in a commercial project “after careful testing”.
He added: “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. With our current 14 MW offshore turbine we are well positioned to support here.”