Vestas presents V163-4.5 MW turbine for medium to low winds

Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems A/S (CPH:VWS) on Monday unveiled a new product, the V163-4.5 MW, adding a new solution for medium and low wind conditions and expanding the offering within the 4-MW turbine platform.

The new 4.5-MW machine has 80.1-metre (263 ft) blades and a large rotor-size-to-rating ratio resulting in a higher capacity factor and an increased power output at medium and lower wind speeds.

According to Vestas, the V163-4.5 MW boasts an 18% increase in swept area and delivers up to 10% higher annual energy production at wind farm level compared to the V150-4.5 MW variant depending on site-specific conditions.

While the V163-4.5 MW turbine is globally applicable, it is particularly relevant for sites in the US, Latin America, South Africa and parts of southern Europe, the company said.

“The V163-4.5 MW improves business case certainty for our customers, and as it is built on one of the world’s most installed wind turbine platforms with a well-established global supply chain, it allows us to realise the full value of the investments made by Vestas and our suppliers through extending our technology lifecycles,” said Anders Nielsen, Vestas’ chief technology officer.

The new product shares most major functional and physical designs across modules with its predecessors V150-4.2 MW and the V150-4.5 MW, and has been designed to minimise the impact of changes on suppliers, transportation methods, tooling and installation processes, and servicing and operational standards, Vestas added.

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