AREVA extends M5000 offshore wind turbine platform

By Kari Williamson

AREVA Wind General Manager Jean Huby, says: “Lowering the cost of energy in relation to offshore wind energy output is essential for the industry. By introducing the M5000-135 and its improved performance, AREVA is making a major contribution to making offshore wind energy more competitive.”

The new 135m rotor diameter, combined with a light design and an improved nacelle, is said to reduce the cost of energy. Additional improvements, such as better serviceability through condition monitoring atop the machine’s built-in system redundancies, is expected to lead to increased reliability and length of life.

With the 66 m long blades – 10 m longer than the M5000-116 – the M5000’s sweep area has been increased by 35% to 14,326 m².