World’s Biggest Wind Turbine Will Generate Enough Electricity to Power 10,000 Homes

Work is currently underway on the biggest wind turbine in the world in Denmark. The gargantuan generator, capable of providing power for 10,000 homes, will be installed as a prototype in Germany later this year, before being utilised in an offshore wind farm off the coast of France.

The three blades on each turbine measure in at 290ft each (roughly 88.4m) and can generate 8MW of power on their own. When fully assembled as part of the wind farm in France, the entire complex will be capable of providing 500MW of power.

Danish ingenuity, German efficiency

The blades are being manufactured by the Danish firm LM Wind Power in conjunction with Adwen and will comprise the largest turbine in existence. They are scheduled to be ready for testing before the end of the year in Bremerhaven, Germany, where the first prototype will be installed.

The Germans are no strangers to innovation when it comes to green energy, with the nation pioneering the use of biogas in the first decade of the 2000s, as well. Now they will seek to better their already impressive renewables portfolio, which has increased from 6.3% of the total energy generation in 2000 to almost a third in 2014.

However, it’s France who will be making the most of these mammoth turbines, with a trio of monumental offshore wind farms earmarked for implementation in the coming years. France famously banned nuclear power a few years ago and have been looking for alternative methods of meeting the stringent renewable targets imposed upon member states by the EU.

A unique set of challenges

The blades which make up the turbine are so colossal that roadways in Denmark had to be closed to public traffic in order to transport them from A to B. What’s more, the turbines themselves have had to undergo a series of rigorous safety assessments to make sure they won’t malfunction when in use, including avoiding structural damage caused by lightning strikes.

“When you are building the largest wind turbine in the world, almost everything you do is an unprecedented challenge,” explained Luiz Alvarez, general manager of Adwen. “We are going where no one else has ever gone before, pushing all the known frontiers in the industry.”

As well as covering their bases in terms of safety, the team behind the turbine have also thoroughly investigated all avenues of performance and efficiency. They have been especially designed with an aerodynamic shape to optimise their energy generation abilities, while a coating is applied to protect against the damage done by rain, dust and snow.

Innovation the key

These huge turbines could be the answer to the world’s impending energy crisis, offering a safe, clean and renewable source of energy for many people in Europe and, eventually, further afield.

Another innovative idea, albeit on a smaller scale, is Google's kiteboarding wind turbine concept, currently still at the drawing board stage. This ingenious device could be the first airborne turbine to harness the power of the wind while in flight – but it would only power 300 homes, considerably less than the 10,000 offered by its Danish counterpart.