GE Renewable Energy (www.gerenewableenergy.com) unveiled plans earlier this month to spend $400 million over the next three years to develop the Haliade-X — the world’s largest and most powerful offshore wind turbine.

Featuring a 12MW direct-drive generator and an industry-leading gross capacity factor of 63%, it will produce 45% more energy than any other offshore turbine currently available.

John Flannery, chairman and CEO of GE, said: “We want to lead in the technologies that are driving the global energy transition. Offshore wind is one of those technologies, and we will bring the full resources of GE to making the Haliade-X programme successful for our customers.”

Towering 260m above the sea — more than five-times the height of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris — the Haliade-X carries a 220m rotor.

The 107m-long blades — designed and manufactured by LM Wind Power — will be the longest offshore blades to date. One Haliade-X 12MW turbine could generate up to 67GWh annually and provide enough power for 16,000 households.

Jérôme Pécresse, president and CEO of GE Renewable Energy, said: “The renewables industry took more than 20 years to install the first 17GW of offshore wind.

Today, the industry forecasts that it will install more than 90GW over the next 12 years. The Haliade-X shows GE’s commitment to the offshore wind segment, and it will set a new benchmark for the cost of electricity.”

The ability to produce more power from a single turbine means a smaller number of turbines in the total farm, which translates to less capital expenditure on other plant. It also simplifies operation and maintenance of the wind farm.

All of this reduces the investment and operating costs for developers, makes offshore wind projects more profitable and ultimately reduces the cost of electricity for consumers.

John Lavelle, CEO of Offshore Wind at GE Renewable Energy, said: “The Haliade-X 12MW will help our customers in an increasingly competitive offshore environment. Through its size and digital functionality, it will provide important value across manufacturing, installation and operation.”