With a hub height of 135 metres, the new version of the Enercon 6 MW is taller than the old and it will use the company's new blade profile. The turbine performance at the Rysumer Nacken site "is expected to by far surpass" that of the previous 6 MW version. The annual yield has been forecast at over 18 million kilowatt hours, enough to supply the needs of more than 4500 households.
The towers, at 131 metres tall, are made up of 36 concrete segments manufactured at WEC Turmbau Emden. It is the first time pre-cast concrete towers are being used for this size of turbine tower, remarks Enercon. The overall height from tower base to blade tip is 198 metres. With longer blades, the rotor diameter is increased from 114 to 126 metres. The new blades have a spoiler extending down to the hub.
The two 6 MW turbines are the first phase of a bigger wind farm project coordinated by Enercon, regional energy company EWE, Emden municipal energy company Stadtwerke Emden and local engineering company IfE in a co-operation named Arbeitsgemeinschaft Emden West. The wind farm is slated to include 12-16 Enercon 6 MW turbines as well as two 5 MW machines provided by German newcomer to the wind industry, Bard Engineering. It has yet to install the first prototype of its 5 MW, which will be the first wind turbine the company has made.
Once complete, rated capacity of the wind farm could be 120 MW from just 18 machines, according to IfE, indicating that some of the later Enercon machines to be installed could have an output exceeding 6 MW. Planning permits for the whole project have yet to be granted.
