Vestas to Build Largest Ever Wind Turbine

Denmark's Vestas will be ready to start manufacturing blades next year for its largest ever wind turbine, which is still undergoing tests, the company said on Wednesday.

The blades are for the 8 megawatt (MW) V164 wind turbine which is being produced by MHI Vestas Offshore, a joint venture of Vestas and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHVYF).

Vestas said production was ready to begin in the second half of next year, depending on "a pipeline of firm and unconditional orders", at a research and development facility on the Isle of Wight off the southern coast of Britain.

Vestas, the world's largest wind turbine maker, formed the joint venture to catch up with rival Siemens (SIEMENS.NS) in the offshore market. Increasingly powerful turbines are being built to place them further away from land, where winds are stronger and the technology draws fewer public complaints.

The company has applied for permission to develop an even larger turbine delivering 10 MW of power but says it has no immediate plans to do so.

Reporting by Teis Jensen