One of the largest test facilities of its kind in the world, the Blade Technology Centre for Vestas near Newport on the Isle of White is a state-of-the-art wind turbine blade research and development centre.

Located on the banks of the River Medina, the 28,000m2 development comprises two 174m long by 56m wide test and prototyping turbine halls and a BREEAM Excellent rated office building.

An extensive value engineering exercise was undertaken to make the project viable and savings realised in areas including the structural steel package, groundworks and slab formation.

With ground conditions presenting a major risk due to the site’s previous history, a programme of enabling works was undertaken which delivered considerable benefits during construction of the centre’s structural elements.

The Vestas building team and their partner Sir Robert McAlpine have continually impressed me with their determination to deliver a great result on time and on budget. Vestas could not have provided a better working environment for the teams lucky enough to be based here.
Rob Sauven VP and Managing Director of Vestas Blades Research and Development

Environmental management at turbine testing site

The site’s location adjacent to a local nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and Ramsar wetlands of international importance meant robust environmental management was essential throughout the project.

And with the client developing its blade testing technology throughout the construction period, our ability to incorporate significant additional requirements into the base build within budget and programme was critical to the project’s success.

Four service towers in each of the halls house plantrooms, substations and other facilities. The halls are connected by a two-storey ‘spine’ providing office and showroom spaces.

To help enable our client to make the earliest possible use of its new facility, Vestas engineers were provided with access into the test hall prior to handover, our site team targeting early completion to ensure that when the contractual completion dates were met, the facility was virtually snag-free and ready for occupation.

The result is an exceptional facility which forms a vital part of Vestas’s global research and development programme.

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