Vestas China producing 49-meter blades for 2-MW wind turbines

Vestas Wind Technology (China) Co. Ltd. has successfully produced its first batch of 49-meter-long wind turbine blades in north China’s city of Tianjin in preparation for the mass production of the company’s V100 line of two-megawatt (MW) wind turbines.

The V100, which features 49-meter-long blades and a rotor diameter of 100 meters, is capable of generating electricity even during periods of low wind speeds, making it useful for wind farm in areas that were previously considered to be unsuitable for wind power generation.

Vestas said that since its launch, the V100 wind turbine has been welcomed by many customers in Europe and America and delivered promising results for Vestas’ business performance.

Vestas formally introduced the V100 in early 2011 to meet increasing demand for the development of wind power facilities in low-wind areas. The company built its largest integrated manufacturing complex in the Tianjin Economic Development Area (TEDA) in order to expedite the manufacture of the V100 turbine, according to the company. The wind turbine’s enormous blades are now manufactured in just three regions: Denmark, the United States and Tianjin.

Jens Tommerup, president of Vestas China, said that in the future, other major components for the V100 wind turbine will be produced in Tianjin as well. Jens said the first batch of blades produced in Tianjin will be shipped to South America. A number of Chinese customers have shown interest in the V100 and are discussing possible purchases with Vestas, according to the company.

In the first quarter of 2011, the V100 and V112 wind turbines accounted for 25 percent of Vestas’ global orders. To date, Vestas has installed more than 180 V100 turbines worldwide. Vestas, a world leader in wind power technology, installed the country’s first wind turbines in east China’s Shandong Province in 1986. Vestas has installed turbines generating nearly 3,000 MW of energy across the country, making it one of China’s largest suppliers of wind turbines.

By José Santamarta, www.vestas.com