Vestas Largest-Ever Single Turbine Blade Shipment Powers Marengo Wind Project

Vestas largest-ever single turbine blade shipment of 198 V100-2.0 MW blades arrived last week at the Port of Vancouver in Washington, USA. Manufactured at Vestas’ Taranto, Italy factory, these cutting-edge blades will repower the Marengo Wind Project in eastern Washington, replacing existing V80-1.8 MW turbines and ultimately boosting the facility’s output by 35%.

Milestone Arrival and Stakeholder Celebration

Representatives from PacifiCorp (project owner), Vestas and the Port of Vancouver joined Vestas employees from its Portland headquarters to commemorate this record blade delivery. Attendees toured the port facilities, witnessed the offloading of the largest single turbine blade shipment, and discussed the environmental and economic impact of repowering an established site.

Journey from Factory to Turbine

1. Manufacture – Blades produced in Taranto, Italy under strict quality controls.

2. Sea Transit – Loaded onto a specialized vessel bound for Washington.

3. Port Handling – Carefully off-loaded and inspected at Vancouver’s deep-water terminal.

4. Final Leg – Transported 285 miles by truck to the Marengo site, with commissioning slated for year-end.

5. Supporting Components – Nacelles and towers from Vestas’ Colorado factories arrive by rail and truck, completing the repowering package.

Repowering Benefits and Local Impact

“As wind technology advances at a rapid pace, Vestas leverages our expertise, insights and global supply chain to deliver repowering benefits across turbine types,” said Chris Brown, President of Vestas North America. Repowering Marengo—originally commissioned in 2007—will:

• Extend Project Life: Modern blades reduce mechanical wear and maintenance costs.

• Increase Capacity: From 210 MW to 284 MW, enough to power 72,000 Northwest homes (vs. 53,000 today).

• Boost Economic Value: Longer operational lifespan and improved cost-per-kWh.

Tim Hemstreet, Managing Director for Renewable Energy at PacifiCorp, added: “By deploying the latest blade technology, we support clean-energy growth near Dayton while keeping energy costs low.”

Looking Ahead: Phase Two and Beyond

A second shipment of 153 blades is expected later this summer. This $200 million project forms part of PacifiCorp’s $3 billion Energy Vision 2020 plan to expand wind capacity and repower existing turbines.

Vestas is also upgrading PacifiCorp’s Goodnoe Hills site with V110-2.0 MW turbines in Power Optimised Mode, raising capacity from 94 MW to 103 MW. With the North American wind fleet aging (average age projected at seven years in 2020 and 14 in 2030), repowering is essential to lower O&M costs and secure spare-parts supply.

For more details on Vestas’ record shipment, read the full Vestas blog post here:
https://www.vestas.com/en/media/blog/technology/vestas-ships-largest-single-vessel-blade-shipment

Discover how Blue BMS can support your next repowering project — explore our Repowering Solutions today.