In the same way a raw material shortage has cramped the solar photovoltaic
industry, the wind power industry has been squeezed by a turbine shortage
-- a situation the manufacturers will tell you is the result of
vacillating policy support in the U.S.
Whatever the causes, the largest manufacturer of turbines in the world, GE
Energy, announced advances this week in its production chain that could
help squeeze out a few more turbines to help meet robust worldwide demand.
In Germany, GE Energy's wind business has opened a new 80-ton, wind
turbine "moving line" in its Salzbergen manufacturing facility that will
help to meet increased global demand for wind turbines.
This moving line is a 42-meter rail system on which the turbines are
continuously moved during production. It has been designed for the
manufacture of both GE 1.5 and multi-megawatt wind turbines and, according
to the company, offers a 30% increase in capacity along with quality and
safety improvements.
GE says the efficiency of the line will enable GE to increase its capacity
by 30 percent while reducing its inventory by 40% at the Salzbergen plant.
A key feature of the new moving line is its capability to detect
abnormalities should they occur in wind turbine assembly and halt the
manufacturing process until the issues are resolved. It can move at
various speeds to accommodate different output levels.
"With the growing demand for wind power worldwide, it is critical for GE
to get the highest possible levels of production out of our existing wind
turbine manufacturing facilities," said Rainer Broering, Managing Director
of GE Energy's wind business in Germany. "The Salzbergen team began
addressing this requirement three years ago, applying 'lean-manufacturing'
principles to the hub production area of the plant, transforming it into a
model line. Motivated by the results of the model line, the team tackled
the next challenge, the machine head line, a more diverse and complex
product. The result is our new moving line."
With wind turbine design, manufacturing and assembly facilities in
Germany, Spain and the United States, GE Energy is among the world's major
providers of wind energy products and support services ranging from
commercial wind turbines and grid integration products to project
development assistance and operation and maintenance.
