Proven direct-drive technology is being deployed in new Onshore projects in Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, for which Siemens Gamesa will deliver 16 wind turbines with a total capacity of 50.6 megawatts (MW)1. Individualized planning and flexible technology helped some of these projects to qualify for the necessary approvals: in Geestpark Almdorf, Siemens Gamesa fully met site requirements for air safety with a customized lighting concept. For the Karlum wind farm, electromagnetic shielding of the turbines made it possible for the wind farm to operate close to a radio station. The orders were taken in by Siemens Wind Power before the effective merger and therefore are not part of Gamesa's Q1 results. The four new projects include orders for a total of eleven turbines of the type SWT-3.0-113, one SWT-3.2-113 and four latest generation SWT-3.6-130. All four projects will be commissioned in 2017.
One gearless wind turbine of the type SWT-3.2-113 will replace a turbine installed in 2002 near Bredstedt in Northern Frisia. With a hub height of 92.5 meters and a rotor diameter of 113 meters, the turbine in Geestpark Almdorf reaches a total height of 149 meters. To ensure the safety of aircraft occasionally passing by from Husum airport at low height, the turbine will be equipped with interfaces that connect to customized lighting. Sensors will control night identification lights, so that they are switched on automatically when aircraft approach. The airspace will be analyzed by radar, while sensors will monitor sight and brightness. The operator of the new 3.2 megawatts wind turbine has entered into a long-term service agreement with Siemens Gamesa for a period of 20 years.
Another four wind turbines SWT-3.0-113 will be installed at Süderauerdorf wind project, located near Glückstadt on the Elbe The project site is located on both sides of the planned extension of the A20 motorway, which is planned to cross the Elbe river in a few years. The four 3-megawatt units on steel towers, with a hub height of 92.5 meters, comply with the strict technical and building regulations based on their DiBt-type certifications. For Süderauerdorf wind farm, Siemens Gamesa will also be in charge of service and maintenance for a period of 20 years.
Further north in Schleswig-Holstein, the community wind farm Brebek GmbH & Co. KG is building on its positive experiences with Siemens Gamesa turbines: seven turbines of the type SWT-3.0-113 are being installed in the second construction phase of the wind farm located in Karlum and Ladelund municipalities. Around 280 limited partners from three surrounding communities have participated. Siemens Gamesa will install seven new turbines on steel towers with hub heights of 115 meters. After commissioning, planned for this summer, Siemens Gamesa will be responsible for service and maintenance for 20 years. Like in the predecessor-project the special electromagnetic shielding of the direct drive wind turbines was a key factor in the technology choice since the site is situated close to a radio station of the Bundeswehr (German army).
Siemens Gamesa will also extend the Zerbst wind farm in Saxony-Anhalt with four turbines of the SWT-3.6-130 type. Siemens had already delivered ten direct drive turbines for this farm previously. With hub heights of 135 meters, the high-performance 3.6 MW turbines on hybrid towers will offer yield-optimized performance. With the order of four turbines, the customer GETEC green energy AG, located in Magdeburg, is expanding its wind farm, situated on a former military air base, where the company operates a future-oriented mix of various regenerative energy sources.
"With Siemens Gamesa, we have found a strong and reliable partner with whom we will manage the challenges of the energy transition. With the expansion of Zerbst wind farm, we will walk on the path towards a clean, resource-friendly and regionally independent energy supply," says Chris Döhring, CEO of GETEC green energy AG.
Currently, the installed onshore fleet of Siemens Gamesa in Germany comprises around 1,650 turbines with a total capacity of 2,050 megawatts.
(1) The orders were signed during the 1Q2017.
