Longest blade in the world presented

Wind Energy

21.06.2016

To lower the cost of energy in offshore, Adwen and LM Wind Power have partnered to develop the longest blade in the world. (Photo: LM Wind Power)

Adwen and LM Wind Power have partnered to lower the cost of energy in offshore wind. LM Wind Power has developed and built a 88.4 meter blade specifically for Adwen’s AD 8-180 wind turbine model.

The first of three blades has been manufactured at LM Wind Power’s factory in Lunderskov, Denmark. It will be transported to a facility in Aalborg in the following days, where it will commence rigorous testing in the framework of Adwen’s extensive product validation plan. The huge component of 88.4 meters has been specifically designed for Adwen’s AD 8-180 wind turbine model, with 8 MW nominal capacity and 180 meter rotor diameter.

The engineering teams of both companies have been working together for months to design and integrate a blade that lowers the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE). According to the company the AD 8-180 with the largest rotor in the industry has the highest annual energy production of all wind turbines. The 88.4 meters length of the blades is the best compromise between swept area, energy production, and the weight as well as the loads transferred to the wind turbine. In addition, the blade design has been conceived with scalability in mind to enable the further development of Adwen’s 8 MW platform.

The AD 8-180 is based on Adwen’s 5 MW platform of which the company has installed more than 120 wind turbines at sea. The first onshore prototype of the 8 MW will be installed by the end of the year in Bremerhaven, Germany, with type certificate expected for 2017 and serial production for the year thereafter.

LM Wind Power’s CEO, Marc de Jong, commented: “The LM 88.4 P blade is an extraordinary example of industrialized innovation at record breaking scale. It is based on innovation building blocks, rooted in 35 years of real life experience, in the design, technology and manufacturing of ultra-long, reliable blades. This blade is a strong proof point of the shared ambition of Adwen and LM Wind Power to bring forward best in class and proven rotor solutions for offshore application, increasing Annual Energy output through efficient and reliable technology.”

Silke Funke / Adwen / LM Wind Power

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