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Information on technical certification

It is a requirement that wind turbines with a rotor area of more than 5 m² must have a valid certificate at the time of installation. This is to ensure that wind turbines installed in Denmark are designed and installed safely. There are several categories of certificates for wind turbines. The certificate shows that an independent third party has verified that the wind turbine has been designed and tested in accordance with the rules in the executive order. At the same time, it shows that the third party has ensured that the wind turbine is produced with a well-documented quality management system.

On the subpage for regulatory requirements and standards, you can read more about the applicable rules, and you can read more about the different certificate categories in the guidance document.

There are several categories of certificates:

Type certificates (§§ 6 and 7): A type certificate applies to the wind turbine type, or variants thereof, specified in the certificate. The type certificate is documentation that the wind turbine type has been designed, tested, and produced following the legislation, and is issued to the manufacturer, supplier, or importer. An owner of the wind turbine must receive a copy of the certificate when purchasing a wind turbine. A wind turbine may remain installed and continue production after the type certificate has expired.

Certificates for home-built wind turbines (§§ 8 and 9):Certificate for wind turbines over 5 m² up to 40m², constructed by the owner. You can read more about requirements and procedures in Annex 2 to the Executive Order.

Prototype certificates (§§ 11): When a manufacturer starts the development of a new type of wind turbine, the typical course begins with the development of a prototype. Before the manufacturer puts the prototype into operation, the specific wind turbine must have a prototype certificate, which is valid only for a limited period.

Supplementary certificates (§§ 15 and 16): Supplementary certificates can be issued to existing wind turbines, which, for example, are relocated, modified, or where the owner still wants to have the wind turbine installed after the expiration of a time-limited certificate. You can read more about supplementary certificates and modification of wind turbines in the guidance document.

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Project certificates (§§12 and 13): Larger wind turbines with a rotor area over 200 m² must undergo a project certification process. The project certification documents the impact of the installation site on the specific wind turbine. A project certificate may cover a park with several wind turbines and can be issued to one or more owners. A project certificate will in practice be valid as long as the wind turbine is erected.

Prototypes or wind turbines that relocated are assessed in relation to the installation site in connection with the issuance of the wind turbine's prototype certificate or certificate for relocation, and these, therefore, do not need to a project certificate.

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Provisional certificates (§§ 7, 9, 13 and 16): In the situation where there are still outstanding conditions in the certification of a wind turbine, a temporary certificate may be issued before a final certificate is issued. A certificate of this type is called 'provisional' and can only be issued if the outstanding conditions are not essential for safety.

Fixed-term certificates (§ 14): For time-limited certificates, the expiry date on the certificate means that the wind turbine must be taken down after expiration unless a new certificate is issued or the time-limited certificate is extended. Provisional certificates and prototype certificates, as well as certain versions of supplementary certificates, are always time-limited.