The 'EnVentus' platform features a medium-speed geared drivetrain, and will be manufactured according to modular principles adopted from the heavy truck industry.
The first two models on the new platform will be a V150-5.6MW, aimed at medium- to high-wind speed sites, and a V162-5.6MW, targeted at low- to medium-wind conditions.
Both variants are designed for IEC S-class wind regimes.
To read more about a behind the scenes look of the new platform, click here
A V150 prototype is set to be installed in the second half of this year, with the V162 scheduled to start field testing from mid-2020.
The move to a medium-speed geared (MSG) drivetrain is the standout feature of the EnVentus platform. The current onshore wind market is dominated by high-speed geared and direct-drive designs.
But Vestas can draw on the experience it has gained from the MSG drivetrain of the V164 offshore turbine, developed through the MHI Vestas joint venture.
"The bankability of this new technology will not be an issue," Vestas CTO Anders Vedel told Windpower Monthly's technology consultant, Eize de Vries, during his exclusive visit to the company's technical centre.
"The proof of concept is the V164 with an operational track record of more than 100 turbines," he said.
