Østerild Wind Turbine Test Field (alternatively Risø) is a facility managed by the DTU Risø Campus of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) for testing of offshore wind turbines with a pinnacle height up to near Thisted-Østerild, Denmark.
History The area was plagued by flying sand from about 1450, and a plantation was started from 1889 to keep the sand in check.
The international IEC 61400 standard specifies how to design and validate wind turbines to gain commercial value.International Standard IEC 61400-1, Third Edition International Electrotechnical Commission, August 2005. Accessed: 12 March 2011. A suitable area for testing wind turbines must have good wind, a specific surface roughness, a clear area around the site, and not be in an EU Special Protection Area. After investigating 17 areas and drawing criticism, the Folketing decided in June 2010 to establish a wind turbine test center at Østerild. It was inaugurated in 2012, and is popular among tourists. A visitor center opened in 2017, and had 50,000 visitors in 2020. There is a 50 kW charging station. The current turbines reached a height of 240 metres in 2020; the Danish wind industry would like a new site capable of turbines up to 400 metres to be developed; at the end of 2024 Siemens Gamesa had a 170-metre tower built intended for a 21MW prototype under the HIPPOW project of the EC Innovation Fund
New ponds and open areas have improved conditions for bats.Monitoring bats and birds Danish Nature Agency The first sea eagles came to the area in 2015.
Description There are 9 test stands, and each test stand has its own meteorological mast due west. Some stands were not yet put in use in 2015. In 2016, the wind turbine industry requested more stands to fulfill future test requirements. The turbines are not permanent, but spend some months in test at the site before being replaced by the next turbines.
At the northern and the southern end of the test field, there are two guyed masts equipped with lamps to warn aircraft.
The masts are situated at and at .
List of sites Test sites as of December 2015 :
Test stand Type Manufacturer Construction year Hub height Rotor diameter Total height Power Coordinates References and remarks 1 Alstom Wind 151-6 EDF Énergies Nouvelles 2016 104 m 151 m 6 MW 2 Vestas V164-8.0 Vestas Wind Systems 2014 140 m 164 m 8.0 MW 3 Vestas V126-3.3 Vestas Wind Systems 116 m 126 m 3.3 MW 4 Vestas V110-2.0 Vestas Wind Systems 98 m 110 m 2 MW 5 EN-120/3.0 Envision Energy 90 m 120 m 3 MW 6 SWT 14-222 Siemens Wind Power 2021 m 222 m 14.0 MW 7 SWT 7.0-154 Siemens Wind Power m 154 m 7.0 MW 8 SWT 11.0-200 Siemens Wind Power December 2020 140 m 200 m 11.0 MW
Gallery
See also
Wind power in Denmark List of tallest structures in Denmark
References
External links
Østerild - National Test Centre for Large Wind Turbines, DTU page National Testing Centre for Large Wind Turbines in Østerild, tourist page Environmental papers Brochure Current weather measurements