Two recent news items from the wind industry show that the right machine in the right place can provide a respectable amount of power and maybe hint at what we can expect from the budding U.S. offshore wind industry.
Gamesa’s G132-5.0 MW turbine
The first news item came from Gamesa a few weeks ago with regard to their 5 MW turbine. It’s sited on a quay near Las Palmas Gran Canaria. The turbine has been working for about a year with a capacity factor of about 85.4%, a remarkable figure for a wind turbine. The capacity factor is a turbine’s output expressed as a percent of 24/7 production at its full rated output. In the U.S., land based turbines usually work around a 40% capacity factor with newer machines edging toward 50%.
Vestas’s V164-8.0 MW turbine
The second remarkable figure comes from Vestas and deals with its recent 8 MW turbine. Not wanting to be outdone by rival Gamesa, the company reports that its largest turbine (and the largest in the world) for an unspecified 24-hour period, produced 192 MWh. That is, 100% of its capacity. While significant, the figure is also a product of good siting and good weather. The Vestas turbine has been in production only a couple months.
The two news items provide good news for nascent U.S. offshore wind industry making it clear that when well sited, wind turbines may indeed replace fossil fuel power plants.
Filed Under: News, Turbines
