Vestas is introducing a 7.2 MW variant in its EnVentus onshore platform, the V172-7.2 MW, designed to offer enhanced performance in low to medium wind conditions. It is in effect an adaptation of the existing medium-to-high wind EnVentus variant V162-6.8 MW with a 7.2 MW name plate.
The V172-7.2 MW is said to deliver a 12 % increase in annual energy production compared to the V162-6.2 MW variant in low wind conditions; it will deliver flexible power ratings of 7.2 MW, 6.8 MW and 6.5 MW and is said to offer expanded site applicability for all conditions, with solutions for cold climate and an optional larger CoolerTop for hot climates.
The new 7.2 MW unit will be based on Vestas’ latest modularised nacelle architecture, where the nacelle structure is divided into compartments that are dimensionally designed to correspond to general industry standards for road, rail and ocean transport. This improves logistics and provides flexibility over the turbine’s operational lifetime. The variant will also build closer alignment between Vestas’ onshore and offshore platforms, as both the V172-7.2 MW and the V162-7.2 MW share the modularised nacelle architecture with the Vestas offshore V236-15.0 MW.
The EnVentus platform now includes four different wind turbine variants, and since the launch of the EnVentus platform in 2019, Vestas has secured orders for more than 6 GW across 14 different markets on four continents.
