Siemens Energy has reached the significant milestone of 10 GW of installed wind power capacity in the Americas. Siemens has installed more than 5,600 wind turbines in Canada, the U.S. and in South America, including Peru, Chile and Brazil. This capacity is enough to supply clean, renewable power to approximately three million average households – corresponding to a city larger than New York City.
Siemens reached the 10-GW installation milestone with the commissioning of the 38th wind turbine at the South Kent wind power project in Ontario, Canada, a few weeks ago. With a rating of 270 megawatts, South Kent is one of the largest wind projects in Canada.
“The Americas wind markets have been our major growth engine in the last years,” says Jan Kjaersgaard, CEO Onshore of Siemens Wind Power. “The U.S., Canada and Latin America have represented up to 50 percent of our yearly installation numbers over the last 10 years. This has allowed us to invest significantly in the Americas in order to serve those key wind markets.”
Siemens’ wind power business has grown significantly since the company opened its Americas headquarters for Wind Power in Orlando, Florida, in 2005. In 2006, the company started producing wind turbine blades at the Siemens Blade Facility in Fort Madison, Iowa. Siemens then opened a nacelle assembly facility in Hutchinson, Kansas, in 2010, which was followed by another blade factory in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada in 2011.
Additionally, Siemens has invested in Wind Power Service in several locations in the region, including both its Americas headquarters and the new, state-of-the-art wind service training center located in Orlando, Florida, as well as wind service locations in Houston, Texas; Goldendale, Washington; Woodward, Oklahoma; and Chatham, Ontario, Canada.
In other turbine supply contract announcements from Siemens:
Siemens receives its first order from Belgium
Siemens Energy has secured its first wind power contract in Belgium with an order for the first phase of the Wind aan de Stroom project on the left bank of the Schelde River in Antwerp harbor. This first phase consists of 11 direct-drive wind turbines of the Siemens D3-platform; the project can however be extended to 17 wind turbines. Component deliveries will start in early 2015 and installation of the turbines is scheduled for summer 2015. The contract includes a service and maintenance agreement for a period of 15 years.
Publicly operated german wind farm contracts Siemens for 12 direct-drive turbines
Siemens Energy has secured an order for a total capacity of 36 MW in Nordfriesland, in Germany. Siemens is to supply twelve direct-drive wind turbines, eleven model SWT-3.0-113 and one model SWT-3.0-101 turbine, for the Süderlügum publicly-operated wind farm. The installation of Süderlügum onshore wind power plant is scheduled for late 2014.
The owner has contracted Siemens for service and maintenance for a period of 20 years to ensure the long-term economical operation of the wind farm. The Süderlügum wind farm is located around 20km from the North Sea coast. Compared to conventional, geared units, these turbines have half as many parts and considerably less moving components, enhancing efficiency and reducing operating costs.
