MHI Vestas Offshore Wind and Vestas have announced a V136-4.2 MW Extreme Climate wind turbine designed to handle extreme weather conditions.
The V136-4.2 MW Extreme Climate is being introduced at the 2019 Japan Wind Expo to highlight the turbine’s specific suitability for many project sites exposed to a severe climate in Japan and Asia, Vestas said.
The new variant is also applicable for other markets with similar conditions around the world, such as Southern China, Caribbean and UK, for both onshore and offshore sites.
The Extreme Climate variant features design optimisations that include a re-enforced blade and a strengthened hub. The new variant is capable of withstanding extreme wind speeds of 53 m/s (exceeding IEC class I extreme wind speed), and extreme wind gusts of up to 74-78 m/s. The variant is also designed to withstand above-average frequency events and intensity of lightning strikes associated with typhoons, such as those seen in Japan, Vestas said.
Serial production is expected by mid-2021 and delivery later that year.
MHI Vestas is also preparing its 9MW model to be typhoon-ready and market-ready by 2020.
”Adding to our existing IEC T (typhoon) certified turbines in both the 4 MW and 9 MW Platforms, this new variant offers additional flexibility to projects facing extreme conditions,” MHI Vestas said.