Vestas, a wind power firm based in Denmark, has introduced its new EnVestas platform, which the company claims will produce cheaper energy by allowing customers to select turbines that are tailored to particular wind conditions.
In a statement, the CEO of Vestas, Anders Runevad said:
“EnVentus is a great achievement by everyone at Vestas that allows us to meet customers’ increasing needs for customisation and continuous reduction of the cost of energy.”
Players in the wind power industry have been continually reducing the cost of both onshore and offshore wind power to respond to falling government subsidies and competitive bidding processes, such as the reverse auctions the UK government holds for renewable energy subsidies.
In addition to improved technology, lubrication practices have also improved with the advent of specialized lubricants like Mobilgear SHC XMP 320 from Mobil distributors. For example, for a windfarm in West Virginia in the USA, Mobil claims that by using its oil together with the Mobil Serv oil-analysis service, the drain interval was extended to over 49,000 hours, more than double the industry average, saving the operator an estimated $176,000 (£133,500) per year.
The new EnVestas platform is expected to produce cheaper energy throughout its lifetime by offering its users more flexibility than the company’s current 2 MW and 4 MW platforms. Two new turbines, the V150-5.6 MW and V162-5.6 MW, will also be made available for the EnVestas platform. Both will include a full-scale converter and be suitable for low-, medium- and high-wind conditions.
