International. GE Renewable Energy unveiled its plan to develop the largest and most powerful offshore wind turbine: the Haliade-X. With a 12 MW direct drive generator and a gross capacity factor of 63 percent, the Haliade-X will produce 45 percent more power than any other turbine available today. GE will invest more than $400 million over the next three to five years in the development and deployment of Haliade-X.
John Flannery, president and CEO of GE, said, "We want to lead in the technologies that drive the global energy transition. Offshore wind is one such technology and we will bring all of GE's resources to make the Haliade-X program successful for our customers."
With a height of 260 meters above the sea, more than five times the size of the iconic Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, the Haliade-X 12 MW carries a 220-meter rotor. Designed and manufactured by LM Wind Power, the 107-meter-long blades will be the longest shovels on the coast to date and will be longer than the size of a football field. A 12 MW Haliade-X turbine will generate up to 67 GWh per year, enough clean energy for up to 16,000 homes per turbine and up to 1 million European homes in a 750 MW wind farm configuration.
The ability to produce more energy from a single turbine means fewer turbines on the total farm, which translates into less capital expenditure for plant balance and less risk in project execution as installation cycle time is reduced. It also simplifies the operation and maintenance of the wind farm. All of this reduces the cost of investment and operation for developers, makes offshore wind projects more profitable, and ultimately reduces the cost of electricity for consumers.
