Wind Energy

Wind energy Vestas to unveil 6 MW offshore wind turbine

Company chief executive Ditlev Engel told reporters yesterday that he will unveil specifics about the company’s 6 MW wind turbine at an event on 30 March in London, along with further details of how the company plans to boost its position in the fast-expanding offshore wind farm market.

‘We are going to go through the details of Vestas’ focus on this machine in particular, and some of the offshore wind turbines related areas and the initiatives I’m hoping Vestas [will carry out] to support our order intake for the years to come,’ he said.

However, he refused to disclose any further details of the wind turbines, including whether the 6 MW wind turbine will use emerging direct drive technology. Vestas first announced its 6 MW ambitions in 2009 but has been tight-lipped about the project since then.

Some manufacturers believe direct drive technology will be critical to reducing the cost of wind energy, as it replaces the gearbox, which has in the past been regarded as the most costly component to maintain or replace. The need to reduce maintenance costs and wind turbine downtime will become increasingly important for developers building wind farms in inhsopitable offshore conditions – hence growing interest in direct drive technology.

www.vestas.com