Following the requirements by the Brazilian Economical and Social Development Bank (BNDES) to locally manufacture wind turbine components, GE has announced the completion of the nationalization of its 3.15 MW Double Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) which integrates with onshore wind turbines of 3 MW power range. The achievement marks GE as the only supplier of generators of this power rating, compliant with Finame requirements, the special credit line for the purchase of locally produced components. The generator is already being manufactured in GE Power Conversion’s factory in Campinas, São Paulo. Serial production deliveries started earlier in September.
GE’s 3.15-MW wind turbine generators have obtained BNDES accreditation for the Brazilian market.
The generator, of course, turns the kinetic energy of the wind into electricity. GE worked with over a hundred local and foreign suppliers to achieve this project. It required a year of talks and negotiations with companies interested in the wind sector.
“We worked on two fronts, searching for existing local suppliers that operated in other industry sectors, and attracting foreign companies to settle in the country. The result was the nationalization of about 300 sub-components which compose the generator,” says Jones Jacon, Project Manager at GE Power Conversion.
The piece entering the Finame list has a nationalization index above BNDES requirements, but the index can still be increased further in the medium term, according to Jacon. GE also plans to nationalize smaller generators that integrate with onshore wind turbines of 2 MW, part of the company’s ambition to nationalize the maximum number of components to enhance flexibility for wind customers.
“Wind power plays a strategic role in the country’s energy mix. In this regard, attracting new suppliers to work in the local wind market will become even more important to sustain the expansion of the wind industry in the many years to come,” comments Sergio Zuquim, Latin America Commercial Leader of GE Power Conversion.
Currently, GE is working on the process of nationalizing the converters and inverters needed to produce wind and solar energy, taking advantage of the growth of renewable sources in the Brazilian energy mix. Today, wind energy makes up 5% of the country’s energy mix, with 7.5 GW of total installed capacity, while new projects to install over 2.6 GW of solar energy have been contracted since 2014.
GE’s Power Conversion business applies the science and systems of power conversion to help drive the electrification of the world’s energy infrastructure by designing and delivering advanced motor, drive and control technologies that evolve today’s industrial processes for a cleaner, more productive future. Serving specialized sectors such as energy, marine, oil and gas, renewables and industry, through customized solutions and advanced technologies, GE Power Conversion partners with customers to maximize efficiency. For more, visit: www.gepowerconversion.com
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