Swedish power company Vattenfall has selected wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa as a preferred supplier for its 3.6 GW Norfolk offshore wind power projects in the UK.
The agreement includes the potential deployment of Siemens Gamesa's new 14MW+ SG 14-236 DD offshore wind turbines and a multi-year service agreement.
Located between 47 - 72 km off the English east coast, the agreement covers Vattenfall’s Norfolk Vanguard and Norfolk Boreas projects. Each park has a capacity of 1.8 GW.
The nominated preferred supplier agreement between Siemens Gamesa and Vattenfall is subject to the UK Government’s Contract for Difference Round 4 auction award in the calendar year 2022 and subsequent final investment decision by Vattenfall.
According to Vattenfall, its Norfolk projects will form one of the largest offshore wind zones in the world when they are completed. They will be able to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 4 million homes.
The giant turbine
Siemens Gamesa's new wind turbine features a 236-meter diameter rotor using Siemens Gamesa IntegralBlades, with a 43,500 m2 swept area. This allows the SG 14-236 DD to provide an increase of more than 30% in Annual Energy Production compared to the SG 11.0-200 DD offshore wind turbine. Furthermore, the machine can reach a 15 MW capacity including the company’s Power Boost function.
The prototype SG 14-222 DD machine has been installed at the Danish National Test Center for Large Wind Turbines in Østerild, Denmark. Final commissioning and full operation is expected before the end of the calendar year 2021.
"This milestone will greatly expedite the installation of the SG 14-236 DD prototype in the calendar year 2022," Siemens Gamesa said.