Vestas’ V236-15.0 MW prototype wind turbine generates the first kWh

Vestas has finalised the installation of the V236-15.0 MW prototype turbine at Denmark’s Østerild National Test Center for Large Wind Turbines in Western Jutland. The prototype has successfully produced its first kWh of power and will now undergo extensive testing and verification to ensure reliability before full type certification and serial production begin.
“This is a great step forward in our ambition to accelerate the green energy transition and it is a major milestone for Vestas and our partners. Colleagues across Vestas have worked very hard and collaborated closely to ensure the rapid progress in developing and assembling the V236-15.0 MW prototype, and this achievement is a testament to the dedicated work of the many Vestas employees involved. With this wind turbine we set new standards for technological innovation, industrialisation and scale across renewable energy to create a sustainable offshore wind industry”, says Anders Nielsen, Vestas Chief Technology Officer.
Vestas’ R&D and production sites in Denmark were used for prototype development and assembly. Vestas’ blade factory in Lem created the blade moulds, and Vestas’ offshore blade factory in Nakskov produced the 115.5 m long prototype blades. The offshore nacelle factory in Odense’s Lindø port developed and assembled the prototype nacelle. Testing of the generator, converter, and grid system integration has already begun at the LORC test facility in Denmark.
With a swept area exceeding 43,000 m2, the V236-15.0 MW delivers industry-leading performance and pushes the boundaries of wind energy production to around 80 GWh/year, enough to power approximately 20,000 European households and displace more than 38,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
The V236-15.0 MW is intended to provide excellent performance while reducing the number of turbines in the park, thereby strengthening the project’s business case. The globally applicable offshore turbine produces 65 percent more annual energy than the V174-9.5 MW, and it increases production by five percent with 34 fewer turbines in a 900 MW wind park. It provides excellent partial-load production, resulting in more stable energy production and a capacity factor of more than 60 percent, depending on site-specific conditions.
Vestas has announced preferred supplier agreements for the V236-15.0 MW turbine in five different markets since its launch in February 2021.