Handover of the Certificate for Siemens’ new 8 MW offshore wind turbine prototype (Photo: DNV GL)

DNV GL has assessed Siemens’ new 8 MW offshore wind turbine SWT-8.0-154 in development and awarded Siemens Wind Power with the Prototype Certificate. The prototype certification confirms all relevant safety features on the turbine according to the Danish Executive Order BEK 73:2013 and IEC 61400-22, allowing installation of the prototype to demonstrate its performance. By erecting the turbine at the test centre for wind turbines in Østerild, Denmark, Siemens is able to perform the measurement campaign for the next phase of the type certification process which is crucial to bring the turbine to the market.

The SWT-8.0-154 turbine is an evolution of the SWT-6.0-154 and the SWT-7.0-154 turbines. The main changes going from SWT-7.0-154 to the SWT-8.0-154 turbine consist of an upgraded generator including the adjacent electrical system and an advanced control system. The upgrade of the offshore direct drive wind turbine to 8 MW is made possible through the introduction of new magnet technology with an even higher grade than that introduced in the SWT-7.0-154. This enables a rated power increase of more than 14% from 7.0 to 8.0 MW.

“We are proud to have received the prototype certificate at this early stage, allowing us to install our SWT-8.0-154 prototype according to plan. The third evolution on the Offshore Direct Drive platform truly marks the move towards industrializing offshore wind power. We are also proud to be once again cooperating with DNV GL, who is equally responsible for allowing us to reach our goals on this very short timeline,” says Morten Rasmussen, Head of Siemens Wind Power Technology.

Mike Wöbbeking, Head of Certification Body Renewables Certification at DNV GL, commented: “We are happy that the certification journey of the Siemens direct drive offshore wind turbine continues from the 7 MW to the even bigger 8 MW turbine together with DNV GL. With our certification services we support Siemens to meet customer expectations to provide the industry with an optimised turbine with an even higher output rate to reduce the levelized cost of energy.”