World record: Blades for the world’s largest wind turbine shipped from Aalborg

Just because the transportation of goods over the quay happens every day at Port of Aalborg, it does not mean each day is the same. Last week’s shipment of two wind turbine blades from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy’s blade factory is a perfect example of this.

Transport of large wind turbine blades is not a rarity; quite the contrary. Large turbine blades are shipped regularly. However, what’s unique about last week’s shipment is that the 108-meter blade will soon be a central part of the world’s largest wind turbine.

Last Thursday, the two blades were lifted on board the transport vessel Symphony Provider and transported to Hanstholm, where they will undergo further testing at Testcenter Østerild.

After undergoing several initial tests back in Aalborg, the two blades will mount onto Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy’s new 14-megawatt test turbine at Testcenter Østerild together with an additional blade which will also be shipped with Symphony Provider this week.

Global wind industry looks to Aalborg

Port of Aalborg welcomes the project, emphasizing Aalborg and northern Jutland as attractive locations for the global wind industry.

– With wind turbines becoming so large, it’s crucial to have direct access to the seaway, which is something we offer. We are also leaders in test facilities for wind turbine blades and have access to a breadth of knowledge through our collaboration with Aalborg University, one of the most prominent research institutions in the field of wind and wind energy. Our partnership with Aalborg University makes us attractive to an industry characterized by product development and producing efficient, more sustainable wind turbines of the future, says Port of Aalborg’s CEO, Claus Holstein.

Claus Holstein points to RecyclableBlade, Siemens Gamesa’s new recyclable wind turbine blade for commercial use offshore, as an example of the development of the industry. This autumn, Siemens Gamesa’s factory in Aalborg produced the global wind group’s first blade of this type, which is also the world’s first recyclable wind turbine blade.