SIZE IS AN IMPORTANT DRIVER OF EFFICIENCY.

even with the increased efficiency delivered by megaturbines. They say deeper savings must be made by operators across their businesses and electricity prices must also rise significantly to bring profitability.

Michael Guldbrandtsen, offshore wind consultant at MAKE, said there were financial and technical risks associated with megaturbines, but that operators had little choice but to invest in a technology needed to make zerosubsidy projects viable.

“Without a significant increase in the size of turbines it would not be possible to ensure a reasonable return,” he added.

Operators are nonetheless banking on the new technology.

Michael Simmelsgaard, head of offshore business at Swedish utility Vattenfall, said the industry would cross the 10 MW turbine threshold “faster than many expect now,” without being more specific. A 10 MW turbine could power about 9,000 homes. megaturbines of over 10 MW. While the machines are still in the design stage, it said it was already offering them for future use to wind farm operators.

“We envisage that the installations of those wind farms will take place in the first half of the next decade,” head of Senvion’s Global Offshore business, Cornelius Druecker, told Reuters without saying how close the firm was to a prototype.

An independent engineer working with Siemens Gamesa, who asked not to be named as they are not authorized to speak publicly, said the German company will have built a prototype megaturbine by next year. Another engineer, who works with several big turbine makers, said designs had almost been completed across the sector and the process of producing prototypes was about to start.

Siemens Gamesa declined to comment.

The biggest technical hurdle