MHI Vestas Breaks Double-Digit Ceiling with 10MW Wind Turbine

MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has made it official – its V164 turbine platform has broken the double-digit barrier and has now achieved a power rating of 10MW.

MHI Vestas launched the first 10MW wind turbine in history at the Global Wind Summit in Hamburg today.

And the V164-10.0 MW turbine is available for sale now, the company said.

“What was unreachable before has become the new benchmark,” said MHI Vestas CEO, Philippe Kavafyan.

“In launching the V164-10.0 MW today, MHI Vestas is proud to contribute this major milestone to the offshore wind industry. And it gives us the opportunity to pay tribute to all the wind industry pioneers who have led us to this historic, double-digit nominal capacity.”

The 10MW model is built on technology and lessons learned from previous installations of the V164 platform. With more than 100 V164 turbines already installed in the UK and Germany, MHI Vestas has been able to leverage technological learnings and incremental innovations to push the boundaries of its flexible platform from 8MW now up to 10MW, the company said.

“At MHI Vestas, we are focused not on what others are doing, but being the best at what we do,” MHI Vestas Chief Technology Officer, Torben Hvid Larsen, said.

”The V164-10.0 MW turbine is the best proof point yet that we do not accept the limitations of conventional thinking and that we think beyond ourselves. We have embraced the challenge of transforming what is possible in our field.”

The upgrades required to reach the new level are relatively small, MHI Vestas said. The V164-10.0 MW incorporates a stronger gearbox, some minor mechanical upgrades, and a small design change to enhance air flow and increase cooling in the converter.

The upgrades ensure that MHI Vestas can run the V164-10.0 MW at full power, at a site with wind speeds of 10 metres per second, for 25 years. The V164-10.0 MW can be delivered for commercial installation beginning in 2021.