Haliade-X 12-MW – the “king of the wind” or the largest windmill in the world

Green energy is gaining popularity in the world. Environmentally friendly and safe methods of energy production have become a real trend in recent decades. Most of this production is occupied by wind farms, whose blades, rotating under the force of the wind, are capable of generating energy with high efficiency and at minimal cost.

Huge windmills made of modern lightweight materials not only catch the eye of a tourist who first saw them, but also provide high efficiency in electricity production, increasing capacity annually. Therefore, it is not surprising that the main investments of leading companies in this industry are directed at improving wind power plants. Their result was the creation of new huge windmills, which were called Haliade-X 12-MW.

The dimensions of the Haliade-X 12-MW are truly amazing. The height of the windmill at the maximum point is 260 meters from the surface, the diameter of the rotor (of the rotating part together with the blades) is 220 meters, and the blades themselves have a length of 107 meters each. This giant is easily comparable in size to high-rise buildings in many tens of floors! The wind farms currently in use cannot boast of such parameters: the rotor diameter of the largest of them does not exceed 180 meters.

The developers plan to install Haliade-X 12-MW in the shelf zones of the northern European seas – this is where the new windmill will be most effective. According to engineers, one installation will generate 67 GW / h of electricity per year – almost 50% more than any existing wind turbines. It is predicted that this will be enough to provide electricity to 16,000 average households – more than impressive results.

So far, the manufacturer GE Renewable Energy is testing its turbine, planning the start of commercial operation for the year 2021. If the project is successful, then Haliade-X 12-MW will become the largest and most efficient wind turbine in the world, having for the first time achieved an efficiency of 63% in plants of this type.