Germany-based OEM Senvion has completed the installation of the first 3.6M140 EBC turbine prototype for moderate and strong winds at a test field near the northern German town of Husum, where the Husum Wind 2017 fair takes place next week.
Serial production for the turbine has already begun with further installations planned for this year.
The new turbine is equipped with the load-reducing pitch control system Eco Blade Control (EBC) technology for load management. It also features a newly designed steel tower and a larger rotor diameter of 140-metres which generates high yields even at lower wind speeds, the company says.
"Senvion is committed to reducing the levelised cost of energy. With this new turbine, we have combined core product developments to create a machine that is targeted towards optimal energy efficiency,” chief executive Jürgen Geissinger said.
“The combination of the 140-metre rotor diameter and the upgrade to 3.6MW allows additional output at the same site. Even with the larger 68.5-metre rotor blades, the 3.6M140 EBC can be installed in the same amount of time as a smaller turbine, ensuring an effective solution for our customers.”
The rotor blades are equipped with the new Rodpack technology which ensures a lighter blade design. At a hub height of 110-metres, the turbine can power up to 3400 households per year and has an extended lifetime of 25 years.
The Windtestfeld Nord test field near Husum is just three km away from the North Sea, offering ideal wind conditions for the testing and turbine certification.
Senvion had originally presented the 3.6M140 EBC turbine at Hamburg WindEnergy fair last year, and unveiled a medium-speed version of the 3.6M140 for the North American markets at the AWEA Windpower conference in May this year in California.
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