The Vestas-patented Large Diameter Steel Tower (LDST) enables cost-effective taller towers to take advantage of stronger wind conditions at higher hub heights for the V117-3.3 MW and V126-3.3 MW turbines, increasing annual energy production and therefore revenue for customers.
On a typical site with a mean wind speed of 6.5m/s, the LDST will increase annual energy production by up to 8% at a hub height of 137m for the V126-3.3 MW compared to a hub height of 117m for the conventional steel tower.
Increasing the tower heights increases the force exerted by the wind on the base of the tower. Typically, this requires the use of thicker steel plates. The LDST instead increases the diameter of the bottom section, increasing the strength while using little extra steel, reducing production costs, and ensuring lower cost of energy. The increased diameter of the tower presents a challenge in terms of transportation. Vestas has solved this by delivering the bottom tower section in three lengthways segments. These can be easily and cost-effectively transported on a flatbed truck and reassembled on site using vertical flanges to ensure strength.
Vestas is currently the only manufacturer able to produce the LDST.
