Wind density is an issue for the wind power industry. The windier the site, the higher the energy output will be. But a new product, launched at the EWEA 2012 in Copenhagen, promises to achieve maximum returns from low-wind sites. The makers hope it will become a benchmark in the industry thanks to its low power density, which they said is the lowest on the market for its segment.
The wind turbine is called G114-2.0 MW Class IIIA, and it is made by Gamesa, one of the world’s top wind energy players. The G114 turbine has a capacity of 2.0 MW, features a 114-metre diameter new rotor with a swept area of 10,207 m². The latter increases a 38-percent in swept area plus a 20-percent increase in annual energy output compared with the G97-2.0 MW turbine.
The blade spans 55.5 metres with aerodynamic features developed using state-of-the-art technologies. Gamesa said is also enables maximum energy production with reduced noise output levels. The company is offering a range of tower height options, which vary from 93m to 140m or higher, depending on the target location.
The new turbine uses G9X-2.0 MW, one of the most validated systems available on the market, Gamesa says. In the first year of the G97-2.0 MW turbine’s launch, Gamesa sold a total of 358 MW of the machine to customers on four continents. This turbine has evolved to become Gamesa’s new Class II product in the 2.0 MW market beginning in 2013. The combination of a turbine with unit capacity of 2.0 MW and a selection of five different rotors (80metres, 87 metres, 90 metres, 97 metres and 114 metres in diameter) makes it suitable for any type of site, with availability levels exceeding 98%.
The company said its product will be ideal for growth markets such as India, China, Brazil and low-wind sites in Europe and the United States. Gamesa will begin manufacturing initial prototypes of the G114-2.0 MW in the third quarter of 2013, with the first turbines supply to begin at the end of the same year. From 2014, the company will start manufacturing market-ready series in all of the regions in which it has a manufacturing presence.
Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.
