As well as being one of the largest onshore wind projects in France, the Ensemble Eolien Catalan wind farm will be a demonstration project for stealth wind turbine blade technology.
Wind farms can interfere with ground radar systems due to turbine blades returning a radar signal that can be mistaken as an aircraft or weather pattern. In some instances aircraft flying directly above a wind farm can be impossible to detect. While modern radar equipment can discern between wind turbine blades and other signatures, older radar infrastructure seems to be particularly prone to the problem. Just in the USA, radar issues had previously seen as much as 10,000 MW of projects come to a grinding halt.
The technology being used in the Vestas turbines at the Ensemble Eolien Catalan wind farm is similar to the stealth technology used in various military applications such as stealth aircraft. Vestas first tested the technology on a wind turbine in 2011, and two additional test turbines were installed last year.
While the stealth blade concept is impressive and Vestas says it is a “big technological step”, the company says in many cases it is more cost efficient to upgrade radar systems to better distinguish among wind turbines and other moving objects.
“The technology to be used at the Ensemble Eolien Catalan wind farm is intended to meet the specific needs of this individual project. Vestas has no plans to offer this technology as a standard solution to the market,” stated the company in a statement.
The 96 megawatt Ensemble Eolien Catalan wind farm will be built near Perpignan by EDF and is expected to be operational next year.
52,000 Vestas wind turbines have been installed on six continents. Collectively they generate more than 90 million MWh of energy per year- enough electricity to supply millions of households.
In other recent Vestas news, the company has received a 30 MW order for nine V126-3.3 MW turbines to be used at the Ylivieska Pajukoski project in the Ylivieska region in Finland, a 58MW order for 29 V100-2.0 MW turbines for wind power project in Rzepin, Poland and a 42MW order for 21 V90-2.0 MW turbines for wind power project in the province of Radziejów; also in Poland.
