Engineering company Siemens Gamesa has unveiled what appears to be the most powerful model of onshore wind power turbine so far.
With a rated capacity of 5.8 MW, it leaps ahead of the rival 5.3 MW Cypress platform from GE Renewable Energy. The turbine has the biggest onshore components yet seen, and it will be available with two rotor configurations.
The SG 5.8-155 and the SG 5.8-170 will feature rotor diameters of 155 metres and 170 metres respectively, with the 170 metre-rotor being the biggest so far in the onshore wind industry. Compared to the SG 4.5-145, the new platform will boost annual energy production by 20% and 32% respectively.
Such advances in wind turbine production–together with advances in lubrication, like Mobil SHC Gear 320 WT from Mobil distributors—will only help boost the competitiveness of wind power, which is already seen as the cheapest form of new power generation.
The CEO of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Markus Tacke, said about the new turbines:
“Today we are celebrating our second anniversary. I cannot imagine a better way to do it than by announcing the launch of this new platform—tangible proof of Siemens Gamesa’s commitment to innovation and R&D.”
The Onshore & Service CEO at SGRE, Mark Albenze, also expressed the suitability of the turbine for any type of site around the world thanks to its two rotor options and flexible power rating. He said it has also been designed in a way that will allow modular upgrades to be introduced in future.
