Siemens Gamesa's offshore wind turbine, the SG 14-222 DD broke new records for most power produced by a single turbine in one day. According to Interesting Engineering, the wind turbine produced enough energy to drive 1.12 million miles in a mid-sized electric vehicle.
(Photo : by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
An aerial view of the Siemens Gamesa offshore blade factory on the banks of the River Humber in Hull, north east England on October 11, 2021. - Siemens announced in August 2021 the plant is to be expanded by more than 41,000 square metres and remains largest offshore wind manufacturing facility in the UK.
With this, the wind turbine is now equal to the 14-MW nominal capacity of GE's Haliade-X turbines and only a bit behind the 15-MW Vestas rigs, as reported by New Atlas.
Reaching a Milestone
What makes things even better is that the wind turbine achieved this milestone in just ten months after it produced its first electricity and sent it back to the grid at the test center in Østerild in Denmark.
The SG 14-222 DD has a capacity of up to 15 MW with a Power Boost function. It has a 728 feet diameter rotor and 354-feet-long B108 blades cast in a single piece that can be recycled with a swept area of 39,000 square meters. With its power, it can deliver energy to power approximately 18,000 households every year.
The company has made several component improvements that allowed for better performance while maintaining its reliability. Additionally, they have reduced the time to market the wind turbine because of its standardized process and a fully developed supply chain. Therefore, it allows the company to implement high-volume production at low risk. With these developments, the company is planning a serial production for 2024.
Also read: Siemens Installs World's First 'Turbine With Fully Recyclable Blades' To Make Wind Energy Cleaner
The Rising Power of Offshore Wind Turbines
For a decade, offshore wind turbines have been increasing their capacity. Now, the capacity of the turbines has been growing exponentially for years. Though it has been facing challenges, it has been progressing impressively.
There are several driving factors for this. One of the main ones is that the technology used in offshore wind turbines has improved significantly. The materials and components used have become more efficient, reliable, and efficient. Moreover, the pricing of the complete components of the wind turbine has gone down.
The transportation and installation of the wind turbine system have also become easier, which paved the way for smaller, cheaper wind turbines. Additionally, the countries that want to integrate offshore wind energy into their power grid have been improving their port facilities. The development of the offshore grid has also been a big help.
The rising power and performance of offshore wind turbines show the viability of wind energy as a source of renewable energy. It is undeniable that wind power is a reliable source that can provide electricity to large populations. With its growing popularity, it will be possible to see more wind turbines generating power in the future.
Related article: Siemens Gamesa Set to Debut the World's Most Powerful Wind Turbine in Scotland
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Written by April Fowell
