ENERCON is currently installing two E-126/6 MW WECs on the Rysumer Nacken in Emden, Germany. This new ENERCON model is a sophisticated version of the E-112 (6 MW rated power) - the world's most powerful wind turbine to date. ENERCON GmbH, the project's builder/owners, will be testing several types of storage systems in combination with the multi-megawatt wind turbines.
This is the debut of precast concrete towers for ENERCON wind turbines of this dimension. Previously, in-situ concrete (125 m hub height) or steel towers (97 m hub height) were used for the E-112/6 MW. The towers for the E-126/6 MW will be 131 meters tall and made up of 36 concrete segments manufactured at WEC Turmbau Emden GmbH. Once completed, the hub height will reach 135 metres and the overall height an impressive 198 metres.
These WECs are equipped with a number of new features: Not only has the rotor diameter been increased from 114 to 126 metres but the optimized blade design with the spoiler extending down to the hub will be installed for the first time on ENERCON's largest machine.
Due to the elevated hub height and the new blade profile, the performance of the E-126 is expected to by far surpass that of the E-112. At the Rysumer Nacken site, the annual yield has been forecast at over 18 million kilowatt hours - enough to provide more than 4500 households with green power.
The foundations for both E-126 turbines are already in place and the first tower installed. Sixty-four piles per wind turbine (average length of 25 metres) were rammed into the ground along the silty bank of the Ems River. One thousand five hundred cubic metres of concrete delivered from ENERCON's own plant, as well as 180 tonnes of reinforcing steel are incorporated into the deep foundation.
For assembly, ENERCON optimised their environment friendly transport concept even further. "We are just shipping a few of the components by road. Otherwise, all other tower parts are loaded directly onto barges at the Jarßumer Harbour and transported to the Knock docks. Larger components, such as the generator and the rotor blades, are also being shipped to Emden from the ENERCON plant in Magdeburg via waterways", says René Wolf, representative of ENERCON's logistics department. The first turbine is intended to take up operation before the end of 2007.