GL Renewables Certification has provided Siemens Wind Power prototype certification for its new six MW offshore wind turbine SWT-6.0-154. The prototype certification is a prerequisite for the testing of the turbine. Field testing of Siemens Wind Power's new 154-meter rotor for the six-megawatt (MW) offshore wind turbine began in Østerild, Denmark, on October 6, 2012.
Bent Weibel, Head of Product Integrity at Siemens Wind Power, received the Prototype Certificate from Mike Woebbeking, Vice President of GL Renewables Certification, at the GL Group's Head Office in Hamburg on October 8th, 2012. The Prototype Certificate confirms the compliance of the wind turbine design with the requirements of the Executive Order from the Danish Energy Authority No. 651, which asks for a plausibility check of a prototype on the basis of the design documentation.
Siemens Wind Power developed its new 6-megawatt wind turbine for use at sea. The direct-drive wind turbine is equipped with what are currently the world's longest rotor blades - each blade measures 75 meters in length. With a record rotor diameter of 154 meters, each SWT-6.0-154 turbine can produce 25 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity in offshore locations, enough to supply 6,000 households.
GL Renewables Certification has also been contracted to carry out the Type Certification of the SWT-6.0-154 offshore turbine and is currently involved in the design evaluation process. A type certification is required in many countries around the world and is often a condition to apply for international wind farm tenders.