Denmark: Vestas installs concept demonstrator for multi-rotor turbine

Continuing to reduce the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) over the long-term will require new solutions and a new way of thinking. With this concept demonstrator, Vestas challenges the core scaling rules that turbines have to grow in size to increase their energy output as well as transport and installation challenges in some markets.  Many new load and control features will need to be developed, tested, and proven to assess the technical and eventually the commercial feasibility of the concept, and first after successful demonstration will Vestas know more about the possible use of the technologies.

New approach for turbine technology

"Installing a concept turbine shows that innovation sometimes entails entirely new thinking and new approaches. This process of continuous innovation and exploration is extremely important. It provides us with essential knowledge that can help us bring down our products' cost of energy and integrate key technologies to solve our customers' challenges. Ultimately, the goal is to assess if we can build an even more cost-efficient turbine by challenging the scaling rules", says Jorge Magalhaes, Senior Vice President, Vestas Innovation & Concepts.

Anders Vedel, Executive Vice President, Vestas Technology & Service Solutions adds that: "As a global company, it is essential that Vestas' product portfolio remains versatile enough to deliver high performance in a wide array of different market conditions — and also innovative enough to succeed in markets with different energy systems and requirements.  And we see a great opportunity — and need — to continuously explore alternative concepts to cover the world's rapidly growing energy demand in a sustainable way, while simultaneously continue lowering the cost of energy our products deliver".

With the Technical University of Denmark as a research partner, the multi-rotor concept demonstrator is being erected at the Risø test site near Roskilde, Denmark, where it will be studied closely in the coming years in order to test specific functionalities.