Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Vestas, European Energy to test offshore wind technology in Denmark

Danish renewables developer European Energy and Vestas are joining forces to make the Danish city of Frederikshavn a global focal point for the test and demonstration of new offshore wind technology.

The joint venture will develop and construct three of Vestas’ newest V236-15 MW offshore wind turbines at three of the five test positions that are currently under development by European Energy, approximately four kilometers off the coast near the city of Frederikshavn. The offshore wind turbines are planned to be built and operational by 2024, with further plans involving turning green power into green fuels that can help the maritime industry run on sustainable energy.

Vestas revealed its latest offshore wind turbine, the V236-15.0 MW, in February 2021 and is currently producing the first prototype of the giant machines. The V236-15.0 MW is expected to deliver around 80 GWh/year, enough to power around 20,000 European households. Also, the offshore turbine can save more than 38,000 tonnes of CO2, which is the equivalent of removing 25,000 passenger cars from the road every year.

The prototype is expected to be constructed in the Danish onshore test center Østerild later this year. The joint venture is an important milestone in the roll-out of the latest wind turbine technology.

“If we succeed in constructing these wind turbines off the coast of Frederikshavn, Denmark will position itself as the global center not only of wind turbine development but also regarding the testing of future offshore wind turbine technology,” Knud Erik Andersen said.

“We have been looking forward to moving ahead with the project in Frederikshavn not only because the development of new green technology is crucial in our fight against climate change but also because we see great potential for turning the city of Frederikshavn into a center of renewable energy in Northern Denmark,” said Knud Erik Andersen. “If we are successful in constructing the offshore wind turbines, we are planning to move forward with a Power-to-X facility on the port of Frederikshavn, where we will turn the green power into green fuels that can help the shipping industry run on renewable energy.”