In the wind energy game, you want the biggest, baddest turbine on your side to generate the most cost-efficient renewable power. The race to produce the world’s largest and most powerful wind turbine has been an ongoing battle.
The most recent honor just got handed to MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Heavy and Denmark’s Vestas Wind System, which is the world’s second largest offshore wind turbine maker. Together they’re building a heavy manufacturing behemoth that can generate output of more than 10,000kW. Aimed for 2020, this sustainable star will enable Mitsubishi Heavy to sell the energy it harnesses to power companies across Europe.
Bigger turbines make sense in all sorts of way. A turbine’s power directly corresponds to the circular area covered by the blade’s rotation. Longer turbine blades catch wind more efficiently. The taller the tower, the lengthier the blade can be. Double the blade and your system can produce four times as much energy. Bigger turbines also have a lower “cut-in” speed—the wind speed at which they can start generating energy.
Last year, MHI Vestas Offshore Winds perfected a 9,500kW turbine—at the time the world’s largest. That one was already twice the height of the statue of liberty with blades bigger than the wingspan of a Boeing 747.
The Japanese hope to gain a larger piece of the global offshore wind power pie, which is expected to grow exponentially by 2030. But watch out, MHI. GE recently announced it plans to introduce a 12,000kW turbine as early as 2021.
May the best turbine giant win.
