GE Rolls Out First Haliade-X 12 MW Nacelle

GE Renewable Energy has revealed the first nacelle of the Haliade-X 12 MW offshore wind turbine at its production site in Saint-Nazaire, France.

The nacelle will be shipped from Saint-Nazaire to Rotterdam-Maasvlakte in the Netherlands over the coming weeks, where its components will be assembled into the Haliade-X 12 MW prototype to be tested there. The prototype will be installed on land to simplify access for testing. This initial phase is designed to allow GE Renewable Energy to obtain the data required to receive its type certification—a key component prior to commercializing the product in 2021, the company said.

In parallel, a second Haliade-X 12 MW nacelle is currently being assembled at Saint-Nazaire, prior to dispatch to the ORE Catapult test centre at Blyth, in the United Kingdom, in the coming months. The nacelle will be tested in actual operational conditions to reduce the time required to confirm its performance levels and reliability.

“Today’s presentation of the first ever Haliade-X 12 MW nacelle at Saint-Nazaire is the start of a key new phase in our ongoing commitment to structuring the offshore wind turbine segment,” Jérôme Pécresse, GE Renewable Energy CEO, said.

”This project clearly reflects our ability to invest and innovate, supporting our customers on an ultra-competitive market in exponential growth. Thanks to the Haliade-X 12 MW, we are proud to prepare for the future of the offshore wind industry from Saint-Nazaire, a benchmark production site for offshore wind international projects.”

The Haliade-X 12 MW’s nacelle and 107-m long blades will allow the turbine to generate 67GWh in gross annual energy, providing enough clean energy to power 16,000 European households.

“We are on track to start commercializing this new product very shortly,” John Lavelle, GE Renewable Energy Offshore Wind CEO, said.

”Once we have received the type certificate (2020), we will be ready to start mass production and send out the first commercial units by mid-2021. Haliade-X 12MW is an outstanding and strategic project for GE. We aim to meet the requirements of our customers by providing a more affordable and competitive energy source.”