The march of the giant offshore wind turbines is continuing. Just a few years after manufacturers raced to develop first 8MW, then 10MW, and ultimately 12MW turbines, Siemens Gamesa has this week unveiled plans to develop a 222 metre diameter turbine boasting up to 15MW of capacity.

Dubbed the SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbine, the model would feature a nameplate capacity of 14MW with the potential to reach up to 15MW. As such, a single turbine would provide enough power each year for 18,000 European homes.

Approximately 30 SG 14-222 DD turbines could cover the annual electricity consumption of Bilbao, Spain, Siemens Gamesa said.

Moreover, a single turbine promises to save approximately 1.4 million tons of CO2 emissions per machine compared to coal-fired power generation.

Siemens Gamesa said it expected to have a prototype ready in 2021 with a view to it being commercially available in 2024.

"We've gone bigger for the better," said Markus Tacke, CEO of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. "Safely and sustainably providing clean energy for our customers and society-at-large is at the core of all we do. The new SG 14-222 DD is a global product which allows all of us take giant steps towards protecting and preserving our planet. We ourselves became carbon neutral in late 2019 and are on track towards meeting our long-term ambition of net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050."

Advocates of larger turbines argue they play a critical role in further reducing the cost of offshore wind power, which has already seen costs fall sharply over the past five years as larger turbines have become available and project management and operations and maintenance processes have all improved.

Larger turbines with higher power yields inherently lead to lower project and operating costs, but Siemens Gamesa said it was also looking to drive down costs further by deploying a nacelle with a relatively low weight of 500 metric tonnes.

"This light weight enables Siemens Gamesa to safely utilize an optimized tower and foundation substructure compared to a heavier nacelle," the company said. "Benefits thus arise in the form of lower costs per turbine by minimizing sourced materials and reducing transportation needs."

Andreas Nauen, CEO of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit, said the new turbine would build on the company's lengthy track record in the sector. "Offshore is in our DNA," he said. "Since we helped create the offshore wind industry in 1991, we've been determined to safely increase operational performance, minimise technology risks, and create a consistently lower Levelised Cost of Energy.

"The SG 14-222 DD demonstrates our drive to lead the way in a world powered by clean energy. In fact, just one unit will avoid approx. 1.4 million tons of CO2 emissions compared to coal-fired power generation over the course of its projected 25-year lifetime."