TÜV NORD to certify Siemens Gamesa titan

Siemens Gamesa has selected TÜV NORD to certify the world’s largest offshore wind turbine, the SG 14-222 DD.

The turbine model has a capacity of up to 15 megawatts and a rotor diameter of 222 meters.

The Hanover-headquartered technical services provider is responsible for the certification of the SG 14-222 DD’s prototype, scheduled for completion in 2021, and for the type certification prior to the series production. The focus is on the overall concept of the wind turbine.

The SG 14-222 DD turbine is expected to be market-ready by 2024.

TÜV NORD will certify the turbine in accordance with the internationally-recognised IECRE scheme OD 501. In combination with OD 502, the scheme is particularly suitable for the highly complex certification of offshore projects, TÜV NORD said.

The turbine’s system design will be tested for the planned lifetime of 25 years. TÜV NORD will evaluate the complete turbine, from the rotor blades to the nacelle, and the tower base. In addition, the quality along the supply chain and a detailed test program will be evaluated.

TÜV NORD will also take into account the extreme conditions a wind turbine is exposed to in the open sea. The turbine must operate safely even in a saline environment, storm surges, and abnormal wind speeds. Accordingly, the SG 14-222 DD is going to be tested for the so-called “Typhoon class”, which is required specifically for the Japanese and Taiwanese market.

The rated output of the Direct Drive wind turbine is 14 megawatts and can be increased to 15 megawatts by using the Power Boost function. The rotor blades measure 108 meters each.

A single wind turbine of this type can supply electricity for around 18,000 average European households annually and reduce around 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over 25 years compared to coal-based electricity generation.

A total of 4.34 GW of conditional orders have already been received for the product for three offshore wind projects on three continents with three customers: the 300 MW Hai Long project in Taiwan planned by Northland Power and Yushan Energy, the 1,400 MW Sofia project in the UK planned by innogy, and the 2,640 MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project in the USA planned by Dominion Energy.