A nacelle built at GE’s production site in Saint-Nazaire, France is en route to the prototype-testing site at the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, a 107-metre-long blade has been shipped from GE’s facility in Cherbourg, France, to ORE Catapult’s testing facility in Blyth in the UK.
With a 220-metre rotor, 260-metre tip height and 12MW nameplate capacity, is due to be the world’s biggest, most powerful offshore wind turbine.
In Rotterdam, the nacelle will be connected to three blades to form a single, onshore prototype unit.
The manufacturer will gather performance data during the turbine’s initial operational period, which will help GE gain type certification for the turbine.
At Blyth, a blade will undergo tests to demonstrate its ability to withstand peak conditions and survive a long operational life at sea.
This will help to reduce the time required to confirm the turbine’s performance levels and reliability, GE explained.
The manufacturer expects to start initial shipping of the turbine in 2021, with projects being commissioned from 2022.
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