Alstom could optimise the turbine’s installation and commissioning procedures at sea after conducting tests.
The firm plans to continue with more tests to understand how the machine behaves within a maritime environment in order to improve the operation and maintenance procedures.
The company expects to receive the final certification for the wind turbine in the last quarter of 2014.
The new wind turbine’s 150 meter rotor is claimed to yield 15% more effiency than other turbines and produce power to equivalent of about 5,000 households.
The permanent magnet generator of the turbine allows it to operate through direct drive without gear box.
The turbine features Alstom’s Pure Torque, which optimizes performance as it can protect the generator by diverting the mechanical pressure towards the tower.
Alstom Wind senior vice-president Yves Rannou said: "This project with Belwind asserts our technological leadership and our innovative abilities. The installation of our turbine which is robust and efficient thus contributes in boosting the competitiveness of offshore wind energy."
The turbines will be made at Alstom’s new facility at Saint-Nazaire harbor, France. Alstom recently moved 150 tonnes of tooling and a few turbines under construction from the temporary workshop to this new facility.
Image: Alstom’s Haliade 150-6MW offshore wind turbine. Photo: courtesy of Alstom
