DNV GL issues provisional type certificate for GE Haliade-X

DNV GL (Oslo, Norway) reported on June 18 that it issued a provisional type certificate (IECRE Provisional RNA Component Certificate) for GE Renewable Energy’s (Paris, France) Haliade-X 12-megawatt prototype, the world’s most powerful wind turbine manufactured to date. This certification, says DNV GL, demonstrates that the prototype has the highest safety and quality standards, and provides evidence that its design is on-track to meet the full type certification requirements. Testing activities of the 107-meter long blade currently taking place at the U.K.’s Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult in Blyth, and at the Boston Wind Technology Testing Center in the U.S., will continue as planned to complete the documentation required to earn the full type certificate in the months to come.

“This is a very important milestone for us as it confirms the robustness of our Haliade-X 12-megawatt design, and gives certainty to our current and future customers who believe in the attributes of our platform,” says John Lavelle, CEO of Offshore Wind at GE. “When we introduced the Haliade-X 12 megawatt, we established a new paradigm in the industry, and we will continue to do so by innovating, improving and introducing new features to our Haliade-X platform, making offshore wind a more affordable and competitive source of renewable energy.”

DNV GL says the Haliade-X technology has been selected as preferred wind turbine for the 120-megawatt Skip Jack and 1,100-megawatt Ocean Wind projects in the U.S., and the 3,600-megawatt Dogger Bank U.K. offshore windfarm. All combined, GE’s Haliade-X technology will power more than five million households in both countries. Haliade-X serial production will start at GE’s Saint-Nazaire factory in France during the second half of 2021.

 “GE’s Haliade-X 12 megawatt is a significant breakthrough for the offshore wind industry. Developing new and innovative technology always brings an element of uncertainty and risk. Type certification is a vital measure to demonstrate that new turbines will operate safely, reliably and according to requirements,” adds Dr. Kim Mørk, executive vice president for Renewables Certification at DNV GL.

The Haliade-X prototype located in Rotterdam, Netherlands set a new world record in January 2020 by generating 288 megawatts-hours of continuous power in one day. The offshore wind turbine has also been recognized as the Best Sustainable Invention of the Year by TIME magazine and Best Wind Turbine of the Year by Wind Power Monthly magazine.