A few months ago, Mingyang Smart Energy produced the world’s largest 20-MW wind turbine. China’s largest private production of wind turbines breaks records almost annually, but now, it might be outdone by its European competitor, Siemens Gamesa.
Namely, the Germany and Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturer works on a new gigantic 21.5-MW offshore turbine that should be installed in Denmark, in news that was confirmed by the Danish Energy Agency. This would make it the biggest offshore turbine in the world, one capable of providing enough electricity for nearly 20,000 households in Europe. Moreover, it
Although it is now officially confirmed, Siemens Gamesa’s wind turbine was seen during transport in December last year. Hardly surprising, as according to the certified prototype, the wind turbine will have a rotor diameter of 905 ft (276 m), which would make it slightly smaller than Mingyang Smart Energy’s rotor diameter of 958 ft (292 m). The tower that would hold these blades will measure around 558 ft (170 m) tall.
Apart from the huge blades, the turbine also uses the company’s Direct Drive technology, which is different from the Chinese Medium Speed Permanent Magnet Generator with gearbox. Siemens Gamesa’s Direct Drive technology removes the gearbox entirely and instead uses a permanent magnet generator (PMG) that operates at lower rotational speeds, simplifying the design and improving reliability.
The PMG has a larger diameter and stronger permanent magnets than regular generators, so it’s able to generate electricity at lower revolutions. Crucially, it’s a low-maintenance system, which is super important for offshore wind farms, where maintenance is challenging and expensive. In addition, Siemens Gamesa’s largest wind turbine will probably be the first one to use a higher 132-kV output voltage.
While Siemens Gamesa’s turbine is impressive, the Chinese Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC) already works on a 26-MW monster with a rotor diameter of 1,107 ft (310 m). Exciting times ahead for sustainable energy production, that’s for sure!
