Largest turbine ever placed on a floating foundation

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MHI Vestas has announced the installation of the first of their V164-9.5mW turbines on a floating platform that is destined for installation at the Kincardine offshore wind project.

This first V164-9.5mW turbine was installed at the installation harbour in Rotterdam

This first V164-9.5mW turbine was installed on a Principle Power WindFloat platform at the installation harbour in Rotterdam. The Windfloat platform comprises three vertical concrete cylinders arranged in a triangle with cross bracing connections to create a semi-submersible structure. With a rated capacity of 9.525mW, these turbines are the most powerful ones to be installed on a commercial wind farm anywhere in Europe according to MHI Vestas. They are also the most powerful turbines to be installed on a floating platform anywhere in the world, surpassing the MHI Vestas 8.4mW turbines operating at the Windfloat Atlantic platform established offshore Portugal.

The turbine is the first of five such units that will be installed at the Kincardine project offshore Scotland. The five MHI Vestas wind turbines will be installed about 15 kilometres off the coast of Kincardineshire at water depths ranging from 60 to 80 metres. This first 9.5mW turbine is expected to be anchored at the project site in December 2020, joining the 2mW MHI Vestas unit which has been operating there on a test basis since October 2018.

The 49.625mW Kincardine wind farm which is being developed by the Spanish Cobra Group, is set to be the largest floating wind farm in the world by nameplate capacity. “The Kincardine floating wind farm will be the biggest ever built,” a spokesperson for the Cobra Group said. ”The installation of the largest turbine ever to have been placed on a floating foundation represents a major milestone for the project and we are very much looking forward to seeing it generate power at the site very soon.”

“We are proud to have the most powerful turbines installed on a floating offshore wind platform,” said MHI Vestas Project Director, Allan Birk Wisby. “The V164-9.5mW turbines are an excellent fit for the Kincardine project, and it is a great achievement by the team to have completed first installation at the quayside. We look forward to completing the remaining 4 units.”

By Dag Pike