The 57.5-metre blade is a new variant of the V112 55-metre version and uses a 2.5-metre extension at the root. Vestas said the V117 3MW, which is designed for medium wind sites, increases production by 7.1% compared to the V112.
Speaking about the blade, Vestas chief manufacturing officer Jean-Marc Lechêne said: "In just five months Vestas has been able to modify the production set-up where we can introduce a new blade variant on a flexible production line that can be transformed between blade types within a single day.
"The development of the new blade underlines Vestas' commitment to produce wind turbines which meet customer demands by providing advancements in existing technology, while at the same time reducing overall level of capital investment."
In April, Vestas launched three new variants of its V112 3MW turbine platform. In addition to the V117, the company announced it is bringing out the V112 3.3MW and the V126 3.3MW. This follows the launch of the V126 3MW turbine in September last year.
