Vestas has installed its first V110-2.0 MW prototype turbine at a test site in Hovsore, on the west coast of Jutland, Denmark. The company says the turbine has produced its first kilowatt-hour of electricity and will undergo an extensive test and verification program to ensure reliability before full-scale production commences prior to the first deliveries at the end of this year.
The V110-2.0 MW is built from the technology of Vestas' 2 MW platform and features a larger rotor using 55-meter blades. The company says the turbine is optimized for production on low-wind sites and increases annual energy production by up to 13.6% compared to the V100-1.8 MW on low-wind sites.
The V110-2.0 MW (and the V100-2.0 MW – also launched in 2013) has a strengthened gearbox compared to previous 2 MW turbines in order to withstand the increase force from the wind on the larger rotor. Furthermore, Vestas says new control features have enabled strengthening of the hub and other parts of the structure without increasing the overall weight.
