Siemens AG has selected Molycorp, Inc. to supply rare earth materials over the next 10 years from its Mountain Pass, California facility for incorporation into Siemens’ high-efficiency, direct-drive wind turbine generators. Molycorp will supply rare earth materials to Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., which will produce the rare earth magnets Siemens intends to utilize in its wind…
Siemens receives order for Grand Bend Wind Farm in Canada
Siemens has received an order for the supply, installation and commissioning of 40 SWT-3.2-113 direct-drive wind turbines. The customer is Grand Bend Wind Limited Partnership, a partnership between Northland Power Inc., a Canadian independent power producer based in Toronto, and two local First Nations, the Aamjiwnaang First Nation and Bkejwanong Territory (Walpole Island First Nation).…
Siemens increases power output of direct-drive offshore wind turbine
Reliable technology is one of the primary levers in Siemens’ goal to reduce the cost of offshore wind power generation. In this regard, the company’s flagship offshore wind turbine, the SWT-6.0-154, has already set new standards in gearless turbine design. Today, the market leader in offshore raises the bar yet again: introducing a generator upgrade…
Gearless wind turbines more often picked for the job
Siemens Energy has been awarded another order from Minnesota Power for 35, 3-MW SWT-3.0-101 direct drive wind turbines for its Bison 2 wind energy center near Center, North Dakota. The scope of supply for the wind-power plant includes transportation, erection, and commissioning of the 35 wind turbines, as well as a three-year service and maintenance…
2.3 MW direct-drive turbine manufactured in Saginaw
The Northern Power 2.3 MW wind turbine is based on the company’s 100 kW unit and has, says the company, more than 50 years of cumulative field operating experience. Northern Power adds that the permanent-magnet generator and power electronics technology are state of the art. The company has installed and commissioned its first prototype Northern…
Direct-drive generators find more followers
No gearbox will ever fail in our turbines, says Northern Power Systems VP James Stover. The reason for that is there are no gearboxes in the company’s turbines. Stover says his company’s Northwind 100 can still match the power needs of many local applications, whether municipalities, schools, farms, or business campuses. The turbine’s physical size…
Direct drive turbine needs no gearbox
Most utility-sized wind turbines use a costly speed increaser to drive a generator. Netherlands-based Emergya Wind Technologies (EWT) however, builds wind turbines based on a direct-drive (gearbox free) design. The company says its turbine offers improved performance and reliability over conventional wind turbines. The company’s main product is a 900 kW, pitch controlled variable speed…