Development of the new Nordex N150/6000 offshore turbine is progressing according to plan. Nordex has now assigned technology service provider TÜV Nord to certify the turbine type. This certification is required before the wind power system can be operated on the high seas. In addition, it serves as proof of the quality of the product to buyers. The first step in type certification is the design inspection. This involves the experts at TÜV Nord critically reviewing the parameters calculated by the engineers at Nordex. In addition, some of the components undergo testing.
This is followed by the type test, which will be performed next year once the prototype has been installed. Nordex will install this turbine in the offshore test centre in Osterild, Denmark. On the basis of the measurements taken, the certifier determines whether the turbine is able to withstand strain and yields the notional capacity.
The final part of type certification involves production monitoring. Here, TÜV conducts inspections at Nordex and the suppliers of components to satisfy itself that the products comply with the designs and quality requirements.
“This is a demanding certification job,” says TÜV Nord project manager Christian Hering. “With a capacity of six megawatts and a rotor diameter of 150 metres, the turbine is one of the largest and most efficient offshore wind power systems. That means that we will be inspecting very large components and reviewing bespoke solutions which have been specially designed for the turbine.”
Nordex is stepping up its activities in the offshore market: In addition to developing systems specifically for offshore deployment and establishing an offshore business unit, Nordex has acquired a roughly 40% stake in the project company for the development of the “Arcardis Ost 1” wind farm. Scheduled to go into installation in 2014, the planned site is located within the 12 nautical mile zone of the German part of the Baltic Sea, 17 kilometers north-east of Rügen.