Source: Vestas

Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas now offers an anti-icing solution designed to improve the cost-effective deployment of wind power systems in cold climates. The Vestas Anti-icing System™ removes ice that accumulates on blades and undermines wind energy production.

Electro-thermal heating elements are embedded in the laminate directly below the blade’s surface. The control system includes different operational modes allowing the heating elements to separately create the optimal heating level, increasing effectiveness and minimizing energy consumption. The Vestas Anti-icing System™ is designed to operate both in rotation and standstill, thereby being applicable from low to high ice severity.

Under common icing conditions, the system ensures a minimum of 90 percent production retention.

Vestas estimates a potential market size up to 14.6 GW from 2018 to 2026, mainly in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Canada.

In addition to the Vestas Anti-icing System™, Vestas launched the siting tool Vestas Ice Assessment™, which uses metrological models and algorithms to ensure an industry-leading, accurate and precise ice assessment down to turbine level. With the introduction of these two new in-house developed solutions, Vestas now offers the widest portfolio of cold climate solutions in the industry.