Vestas introduced a 57.5-meter blade prototype for its V117-3.3 MW wind turbines. The blades, about 189 feet in length, are the longest ever manufactured in the U.S.
The company says its Brighton, Colo.-based plant is the only Vestas factory in the world equipped to produce this blade type. The Colorado factory will be producing more of these blades later in 2013 for a new wind energy project in Denmark, Vestas notes.
Vestas says the V117, which is based on its V112-3.0 MW machine, offers advanced blade technology while lowering the cost of energy, all without requiring significant capital investments in manufacturing. Vestas' Brighton blade factory features a modular and flexible production line capable of producing blades for both the V112 and V117 turbines. The V117 blades feature a wound root extension that lengthens the 55-meter blades by 2.5 meters.
The V117 is designed for areas with medium wind speeds. Annual energy production increases up to 7% when compared with the V112-3.0 MW.
