Vestas has launched its patented Large Diameter Steel Tower (LDST), a solution to increase the tower height for its 3 MW turbines to over 140 meters and increase power production at low-wind sites.
On a typical site with a mean wind speed of 6.5 m/s, Vestas claims the LDST will boost annual energy production by up to 8% at a hub height of 137 meters for the V126-3.3 MW, compared to a hub height of 117 meters for the conventional steel tower.
As Vestas explains, increasing the tower heights means more force exerted by the wind on the base of the tower, and typically, this requires the use of thicker steel plates. However, the company says the LDST instead increases the diameter of the bottom section, using little extra steel and reducing production costs.
"Vestas' product development strategy is to continue to optimize our technology in order to lower the cost of energy for our customers," comments Vestas Chief Technology Officer Anders Vedel.
