mars
16
2011 | Alstom collaborates with Belwind to test its new 6 MW direct drive offshore wind turbine at Belgian wind farm
Global leader in power generation equipment and services Alstom has announced it will collaborate with Belgian wind farm developer Belwind with a view to demonstrating its next generation 6 MW direct drive offshore wind turbine as part of a demonstrator project in Belgium of approximately 40 megawatt (MW).
This innovative project, which is calling for EU funding under the NER300 scheme, would be developed over the period 2012-2015 at Phase 2 of the Belwind wind farm located on the Bligh Bank on the Belgian continental shelf, near the Belgian port of Zeebrugge in Flanders. Belwind will provide an essential proving ground for Alstom’s new offshore wind turbine technology testing.
This highlights Alstom’s pioneering offshore wind technology, which is endowed with design features that boost reliability and energy yield to cut the cost of electricity. These include the unique ALSTOM PURE TORQUE™ concept, which protects the generator from unwanted stress thereby boosting the turbine’s reliability. Alstom’s offshore wind turbine features Converteam’s “Advanced High Density” (AHD) direct drive Permanent Magnet Generator which is a more compact and lightweight design compared to earlier generation direct drive systems. Alstom’s offshore wind turbine also boasts the world’s longest wind turbine blades -developed in collaboration with LM Wind Power-, which enable the turbine to deliver a high energy yield, a key feature of Belwind’s NER300 application for funding.
Alfonso Faubel, Alstom Power’s Wind business Vice President, said: “This partnership will benefit from Alstom’s leading wind turbine technology, which improves reliability and lowers the cost of energy production, as well as from Belwind’s proven offshore project execution and wind farm installation capabilities, as evidenced by the implementation of Belwind Phase I”.
Alstom’s offshore turbine has been designed to cut the end user’s cost of energy through the optimisation of the complete turbine package: The foundation design has been engineered to reduce its weight and thereby cut cost, while assembly and commissioning at port are maximised to reduce costly installation time at sea whilst in-service reliability is boosted by the use of fewer components.
“We believe Alstom’s innovative wind turbine technology will help the development of clean, reliable and efficient power plants,” said Belwind CEO, Frank Coenen.
Source : Communiqué ALSTOM
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