GE Renewable Energy recently unveiled its new family of 3-MW wind turbines at the European Wind Energy Association’s (EWEA) 2015 Annual Event in Paris. Joining GE’s recently launched 3.2-130, the announcement introduced two new models in the 3.4-130 and 3.4-137, making the platform GE’s most powerful family of onshore wind turbines offered to date.
“Our new 3-MW machines are built to address the complexities of European wind conditions,” said Anne McEntee, president and CEO of GE’s onshore wind business. “Working closely with our customers, this new family of smart, modular turbines will allow us to configure the right technology for a wide variety of site-specific wind conditions.”
The new platform is built on the proven performance of GE’s 2.5- and 2.75-MW machines. In addition to larger rotor diameters, the new models offer improved load management systems, enhanced control features, and more efficient drive-train technology. They also represent GE’s most powerful onshore machines offered to date with the 3.4-137 model capable of providing up to 24 percent higher output than existing technology (compared to GE’s 2.75-120 model).
In addition, the new 3-MW platform features the modular hardware and software analytics capabilities of GE’s Digital Wind Farm. The hardware platform uses the same machine head throughout all configurations, but offers flexible rotor diameters of 130 or 137 meters, multiple generator ratings of 3.2-3.4 MW and five possible tower height combinations ranging from 85 to 155 meters. The Digital Wind Farm also uses a virtual modeling system that aims to optimize individual turbine configuration and site layout to get the maximum energy production from each site’s unique wind conditions. It is powered by Predix (trademark of General Electric Company) — the secure software platform for the Industrial Internet.
GE’s modular 3-MW turbine platform is configurable to meet IEC class 3A, 2B, and 3B wind conditions.
GE also recently introduced its new renewable energy business at the European Wind Energy Association’s (EWEA) 2015 Annual Event in Paris. The new unit significantly expands GE’s wind portfolio in the wake of its recent acquisition of Alstom’s power and grid businesses.
“Today is an exciting day for the future of the wind industry,” said Jérôme Pécresse, president and CEO of GE Renewable Energy. “With the creation of our new business, GE now has one of the world’s largest renewable energy footprints, and our goal is to help drive the wind industry forward by drawing on the shared expertise of two innovative companies.”
The new business expands GE’s global wind footprint to more than 30,000 turbines worldwide and significantly increases its presence in regions such as Europe and Latin America. In Europe alone, GE’s installed base is expected to grow by approximately 50 percent as a result of the deal.
“Over the past few years, we have focused on making our wind business more global,” said Anne McEntee, president and CEO of GE’s onshore wind unit. “The Alstom deal helps us gain local experience in key growth regions, and we will be extending our services capabilities to a broader group of customers across the newly combined fleet.”
In addition, GE Renewable Energy is welcoming a new offshore wind unit into the portfolio. Featuring new Haliade turbine technology, the offshore business has built a significant backlog of orders with EDF in France and has been selected for the Merkur offshore project in Germany. The Haliade technology will also be featured in the historic Block Island project, which is set to become the first offshore wind farm in the United States. Construction is underway, and the project is expected to begin operations next year.
“Offshore wind is a challenging industry, but we believe the market has real potential,” said Anders Soe-Jensen, president and CEO of GE’s offshore wind unit. “Our goal is to work closely with customers to continue validating our technology as we begin to scale and grow the business.”
Customers can also expect to see service-related benefits resulting from the acquisition. GE Renewable Energy plans to extend its services capabilities across both existing fleets, with an emphasis on using cutting-edge digital and analytics capabilities to help customers improve productivity and increase power output. Earlier this year, GE launched its Digital Wind Farm, which aims to create a digital infrastructure for the wind industry. The Digital Wind Farm harnesses the analytics power of the GE Store and is powered by Predix, the secure software platform for the Industrial Internet.
For more information on this expansion, go to www.ge.com.
— Source: GE
