Estonian Company Looking to Join Double-Digit MW Turbine Race

Estonian wind technology company Eleon is aiming to develop a wind turbine with a capacity of more than 10MW and has filed an application with the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme to develop its technology.

Valued at approximately EUR 38 million, the project is scheduled to be carried out from 2018 to 2022, subject to the outcome of the funding application.

The technology is based on Eleon’s patent for a single-side direct-drive (SSDD) wind turbine concept.

The company’s first patented direct drive wind turbine Eleon 3M116 was erected in 2013 in Saaremaa, Estonia. The 3M116 wind turbine has completed all network tests and, according to Eleon, it is producing approximately 30% more electricity than other similar wind turbines on the same site.

“A three-megawatt prototype wind turbine developed by Eleon and operating in Saaremaa has proved itself technologically and created a basis of trust, which is demonstrated also by the strong network of international partners that wish to take part in this project,” said Oleg Sõnajalg, co-founder of Eleon AS.

“The SSDD technology provides a significant reduction in wind turbine head mass, main component weight and dimensions compared to all others state-of-the-art technologies which allows to construct wind turbines without extra heavy components, special sized cranes nor heavy load transportation, lowering price costs, handling cost and installation costs,” Sõnajalg added.

The 10+MW project will be developed by a consortium comprising Windnovation Energineering Solutions GmbH, Windrad Engineering GmbH, P.E. Concepts GmbH, and Estonian companies Civitta Eesti AS and Meta Advisory Group OU, along with the technology developer Eleon AS. The Aalto and Tampere universities of Finland and Rostock University of Germany are also involved in the project.