The new V164 turbine near Østerild, Denmark. MHI Vestas
A 722-foot tall, 9-megawatt wind turbine operating at an offshore testing site near Østerild, Denmark has set a new world record for wind electricity generation. The V164 turbine, built by Danish energy company MHI Vestas, produced 216,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in just 24 hours, enough to power 240 U.S. homes for a month.
The record was broken in early December, but just recently reported. The turbine has 38-ton blades that measure 263 feet in length. It is built so that 80 percent of its structure can be recycled at the end of its 25-year life.
Offshore wind turbines have been getting bigger and more efficient in recent years. Many northern European countries have invested heavily in the technology in an effort to move away from fossil fuels toward renewables. The share of wind energy in the European Union’s electricity supply has grown from 2 percent in the year 2000 to 12 percent today, largely boosted by the growth in offshore wind generation.
