Vestas and tower specialist Max Bögl have launched a hybrid tower with a hub height of 199 metres – which they say is currently the world’s tallest onshore tower for wind turbines.
For perspective, that’s 19 metres taller than central London’s iconic skyscraper 30 St Mary Axe – better known as The Gherkin.
The manufacturers say height of the tower “makes it possible to harvest stronger and more constant wind and thus increase both the capacity factor and the annual electricity production (AEP) of each turbine.”
This will help projects in central Europe, where space is generally constrained, maximise electricity production, the Vestas added.
The concrete-steel hybrid tower features proprietary technologies from Vestas and Max Bögl in a novel design, according to the firms.
Jens Kück, vice president sales central at Vestas, said: “The V172-7.2MW on a 199-metre tower cements our market leadership in Germany and Austria and demonstrates our ability to continuously increase the yield of our wind turbines through new technologies in order to realise the ambitious expansion targets for onshore wind energy in Germany.”
Josef Knitl, a board member at Max Bögl Wind, added: “With this evolutionary tower size, we move into a new area of hub heights and energy productions with efficient wind turbines. This is an important step to ensure the energy supply in central Europe with renewable energies and to reduce the dependence on conventional energy sources.”
Image credit: Vestas
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