GE installs 2,500 of its megawatt wind turbine
ATLANTA, Georgia, US, 2004-10-06 (Refocus Weekly)
Eight and a half years since the first installation, GE Energy says it has installed its 2,500th turbine of 1.5 MW rated capacity.
Thirty-six of the units have been installed as part of ENEL's Littigheddu
project in Sardinia, Italy. It is ENEL's largest wind project and one of the
largest in Italy.
“Our 1.5 MW wind turbine has been proven in nearly every wind regime, terrain
and climate worldwide,” says president Steve Zwolinski. “As we celebrate
this milestone, we also continue to invest in technology improvements that will
build upon the vast experience base of our installed fleet and will result in
even higher levels of wind turbine reliability and efficiency."
The first 1.5 MW turbine was installed in April 1996 in Germany, and the company
has invested US$10 million in recent months to enhance the technology, including
efforts to provide greater efficiency in lower wind regimes. A cold weather
package allows operation of the turbine in temperatures as low as -30oC and
guarantees a survival temperature of -40oC, and the company has developed a
modular tower that enables 1.5 MW turbines to use hub heights ranging from 61 to
100 m to meet local regulations.
In addition to a 1.5 MW turbine, GE Energy also has a 2 MW series and a 3.6 MW
turbine for offshore applications. It has facilities in Germany, Spain, India
and the United States, with an installed base of 6,700 turbines with total
capacity of 4,900 MW.
The wind energy division started in 1980 as Zond Systems and was acquired by GE
in May 2002. GE Energy also sells solar modules ranging from 30 to 165 watts.
GE Energy's wind turbine was recently selected for the Parque Eólico de la
Fuensanta windfarm in the Castilla La Mancha region of central Spain. The 49.5
MW facility will generate 120 GWh of green power a year after it enters service
in 2005.
The windfarm will use 33 of GE's 1.5 MW turbines, which will be assembled at
GE’s facility in Noblejas, Spain. Under a turnkey contract, GE will supply,
install and commission the turbines and will operate and maintain the plant for
two years, and the output will be sold to Iberdrola, the second-largest utility
in Spain with nine million customers and generating capacity of 20,000 MW.
Spain is the world's second largest producer of wind power, with 6,420 MW of
capacity, following Germany’s 14,612 MW and leading the 6,361 MW in the United
States. The country has a target of 13,000 MW from wind by 2011.
Click
here for more info...
Visit http://www.sparksdata.co.uk/refocus/ for your international energy focus!!
|