The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has completed the assembly and installation of Opus 3, a modular wind turbine designed and built specifically for research, at its WiValdi wind energy research park in Krummendeich, Lower Saxony, Germany. Commissioning is now under way and regular research operations are scheduled to begin in early 2027.
Opus 3 will enable new components, technologies and control and regulation methods to be tested in practice and further developed. The turbine is a bespoke installation rather than a mass-produced model, so its individual systems and their interactions are being tested step by step during commissioning.
The turbine has a rated output of 500 kW, a hub height of 50 metres and a rotor diameter of 50 metres. These dimensions allow pre-industrial prototypes and new components to be tested initially at a smaller scale, but close to realistic operating conditions. If technologies and solutions prove successful in trials with Opus 3, the findings can subsequently be applied to market-specific wind turbines and taken into account when designing new turbines.
Opus 3 joins the two existing turbines, Opus 1 and Opus 2, which were installed in 2023, expanding the capabilities of the DLR WiValdi research park. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) has provided approximately €6 million in funding for the project.
