Vestas unveils new modularised nacelle concept for onshore and offshore wind turbines

Vestas plans to use a modularised nacelle for yet-to-be-unveiled variants of its EnVentus onshore wind platform. The turbine manufacturer already uses the concept in its recently unveiled 15MW offshore wind turbine.  

It intends to divide the nacelle into manageable modular subcomponents, easing logistics, construction, operations and maintenance, according to chief technology officer, Anders Nielsen.

Subcomponents would be transported separately and assembled at the site or at a designated assembly location nearby.

The modularised unit would comprise a main nacelle house and one or more side-compartments depending on the configuration, according to a blog post by Nielsen.

These units will be dimensionally designed to correspond to general industry standards for shipping, road, rail and ocean transportation. This means that the modularised nacelle units can be transported, regardless of any tunnels, bridges and rail systems that might be encountered, with less need for specialised handling, Nielsen explained.

Side-compartments can, in general, house many different types of relevant technologies or applications, he added. 

Vestas’s modular concept will use a simple click-on system to enable smart servicing solutions. It opens up upgrade and innovation possibilities over the operating asset’s lifetime.

Nielsen explained that ever-larger turbine components can create logistical challenges in shipping to all parts of the world. Therefore, optimising how products, services and solutions are designed and produced can help Vestas to enable wind turbine deployment at scale.