Isra-Mart srl:Dong Energy lines up to test Vestas' 7MW wind turbine

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Isra-Mart srl news:

Vestas has already secured a potential customer for its newly launched 7MW offshore wind turbine, signing an agreement with Dong Energy to test a series of prototype devices.

The two Danish companies announced today that they have signed a letter of intent for Dong to examine the design of Vestas' V164-7.0 MW wind turbine and potentially install one or more prototypes onshore in 2012.

Vestas said that it has already been working with wind farm developers to design the 7MW, but has remained tight lipped about any other potential customers.

"Dong Energy, for obvious reasons, has been part of [the process]," a spokesman told BusinessGreen. "They're looking to test it and see what happens."

The announcement comes just 24 hours after Vestas unveiled the designs for its new offshore wind turbine, surprising the industry by opting for a turbine with 7MW of capacity, 1MW more than had been widely anticipated.

Construction of the first V164-7.0 MW prototypes is slated for the fourth quarter of 2012, with serial production set to begin in the first quarter of 2015 provided Vestas has a firm order pipeline in place.

The two companies also confirmed today that Dong is seeking to buy an undisclosed number of Vestas V112 3.0 MW wind turbines for research and demonstration, at Dong's onshore test wind farm in Kappel, Denmark.

In related news, Dong Energy is reportedly seeking to aquire a stake in one or more Round 3 offshore wind farms, despite failing to secure the rights to develop a zone in the Crown Estate's initial bidding process.

According to Utility Week, Dong Energy's head of UK power, Peter Gedbjerg, suggested that the Crown Estate had decided against awarding Dong a development zone becuase the wind farm developer did not meet its strict construction timeline.

However, he said that Dong was now looking for potential partnerships. "My impression is that we would be a very popular partner due to our experience," Gedbjerg told reporters.