Nordex debuts a US wind turbine optimized for lower wind speeds

German wind turbine maker Nordex Group today debuted a 5-megawatt (MW) wind turbine for the US market that “significantly increases yield” in lower wind speeds.

Nordex’s new onshore wind turbine, which is designed for the US market, uses the proven technical concepts of its Delta4000 series, such as the main shaft and bearing, the electric power system, and the generator frame of its sister model, the N163/5.X, which is already field-tested.

The company says it’s able to increase yield with larger rotors and higher hub heights for each wind class, as well as raised rated output.

The N169/5.X has a rotor diameter of 169 meters (554 feet) and a power rating of up to 5.5 MW. A range of US-optimized towers will be offered. Nordex says its N169/5.X is particularly suitable for US wind regions without intense turbulence and low to medium wind speeds.

José Luis Blanco, CEO of the Hamburg-based Nordex Group, said:

The N169/5.X is one of the largest and most efficient turbines for the US market, developed to support our growth targets in this region.

Once again, we have followed our proven approach of an evolutionary product strategy by using proven components of our 5 MW class to develop a turbine variant that significantly increases yield, especially in projects with limited grid capacity, through an optimized capacity factor.

Nordex North America already offers N163 and N175 variants for land-constrained and some grid-constrained sites in multiple configurations. The N169/5.X will allow it to meet additional customer needs in grid-constrained sites.

Nordex already has a US supply chain that qualifies its wind turbines for the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits, as it manufactures components such as nacelles, drive trains, and hubs domestically. It will manufacture the N169/5.X and the N163 turbine in its West Branch, Iowa, factory. N169/5.X production is scheduled to start in 2026.

Read more: In a first, a German offshore wind farm will use Chinese turbines

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