Siemens Wind Power: Technical Developments

Siemens Wind Power: Technical 

Developments 

Robert Nelson, Manager - Codes, Regulations and Standards – 

Siemens Wind Turbines - Americas 

© Siemens AG 2008 All rights reserved.

Siemens Wind Power: Continuous growth: 2004-2008 

• Production capacity and number of employees 

has more than tripled since acquisition in 2004 

• Siemens Wind Power present in more than 20 

countries 

Bonus 

Deliveries [MW] 

Siemens 

• Major successes in 2007/08: 

• Start in Asia-Pacific: West Wind Project in New 

FY2004 FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 

Zealand (140 MW) – large-scale project in the 

Pacific Region 

• Burbo Banks and Lillgrund Offshore installed 

• Positioned no. 3 in the USA in 2007 

• Positioned no. 1 in the global offshore market in 

2008 

… A main player in the wind energy 

market place with global presence. 

© Siemens AG 2008 All rights reserved. 

Page 2 2008/11/05 Energy R WP

Extract of recent projects 

installed or awarded 

White Creek (Last Mile 

Coop) WA 

89 turbines 

86 turbines 

Klondike, (PPM) OR 

44 turbines 

Whirlwind (RES) TX 

26 turbines 

Champion (Airtricity) TX 

55 turbines 

Lynn and Inner Dowsing, UK 

54 turbines (offshore) 

Nine Canyon (RES) WA 

14 turbines 

Wolfe Island (CHD) CAN 

Whitelee, UK 

Altahullion, Scotland 140 turbines 

9 turbines 

Lillgrund, S 


Horns Rev , DK 

Burbo Banks, UK 


Greater Gabbard, UK 



(FPL) 4 projects 

E.on, US & Europe 

260 turbines 

500 turbines 

Aridagawa, JP 

Sweetwater (RES) TX 

46 turbines 

10 turbines 

Okawara, JP 

Parque Eolico De Casa, ES 

15 turbines 

13 turbines 

USA 

(ACS) 4 projects, ES 

50 turbines 

West Wind, NZL 

62 turbines 



Worldwide market leader in offshore projects with 

extensive experience in onshore projects 

Burbo Banks, UK 


Horns Rev II, DK 

91 turbines (offshore) * 

Rhyl Flats, UK 


Lillgrund, SE 


Lynn and Inner Dowsing, UK 


Middelgrunden, DK 


Greater Gabbard, UK 


Samsø, DK 


Gunfleet Sands, UK 


Nysted, DK 


Gunfleet Sands II, UK 


Vindeby, DK 


* planned 



Technology 

Siemens’ track record with offshore wind farms: 

• Siemens has installed offshore wind farms with >640 MW 

• Siemens has orders for offshore wind farms >1,500 MW 

• The 3.6 MW is the largest offshore wind turbine produced in large series 

• The 2.3 MW remains a good offshore fit 

… Market leader in offshore wind power. 



Major event 2007: 

Blade Factory opening Ft. Madison, Iowa (USA) 

• Facilities for 

• warehousing 

• manufacturing 

• machining, rough & fine finish, and 

painting 

• Manufactures Wind Turbine Blades 



Expansion of Siemens Wind Power 

headquarters, Brande (Denmark) 

• Siemens Wind Power, headquartered 

in Brande, Denmark since 1980 

• 2006: Major expansion- new offices, warehouse and production 

facilities 

… Headquarters expansion 



Blade factory, Aalborg (Denmark) 

• Siemens Wind Power blade factory (2002), Aalborg 

• Production of blades 

• New expansion ongoing and expected to be completed 2009 

… Aalborg’s largest employer measured by headcount. 



Blade factory, Engesvang (Denmark) 

• In February 2006 Siemens Wind Power bought a former LM Glasfiber blade factory located 

in Engesvang, Denmark 

• New extensions are planned 

• Production of blades 



Service office, Bremen, Germany 

• In November 2005 Siemens Wind Power 

A/S took over AN Windenergie GmbH, 

which has been cooperation partner for 

Bonus Energy since 1989, and Siemens 

Wind Power GmbH was established. 



Global manufacturing network to support growth 

New: Hub production 

Ølgod 

HQ and nacelle 

production, Brande 

Blade factory 

Aalborg and Engesvang 

Blade factory 

FTM, Iowa 



Everyone counts 

• Headcount distribution by location 

Other 

GB 

US 

Bremen 

Ølgod 

Engesvang 

Aalborg 

Brande 

2004 2005 2006 2007 March 

2008 

Outlook: 

Continued Growth 

• Approx. 60% in Denmark 

• Approx. 40% outside Denmark 

June 

2008 



Answers for energy. 

Market installations for wind turbines are 

expected to grow at 12 %/yr 

Wind Power is the fastest growing 

renewable energy technology 

More than 7,000 Siemens wind turbines with 

a capacity of more than 7,000 MW can save 

>11 M tons CO2 



Development in turbine sizes 

4000 

3500 

3600 

3000 

2500 

2300 

kW 

2000 

2000 

1500 

1000 

500 

0 

1300 

1000 

600 

450 

300 

30 55 95 150 

1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1996 1998 1999 2000 2003 2004 

Year 



Technology Development – Turbine Size 

SWP WTG Growth, Extrapolated 

Boeing / Douglas Aircraft MTOW Growth 

10000 

1000 

Nameplate Rating (kW) 

1000 

100 

Historical 

Extrapolated 

Plateau 

Maximum Take-Off Weight (tons) 

100 

10 

10 

1 

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 

1930 1950 1970 1990 2010 

Year 

Year 

Until 2003 exponential growth 

• From 22 kW to 2.3 MW over 25 years 

• Doubling time 4 years 

• Plateau reached 2003 at 2.3 MW 

• Flagship SWT-3.6-107 turbine has 107 

m wing span – Boeing 747 has 64 m 



Design life of the SWT-2.3-series 

• Calculated life of structure: 20 years 

• Total CO 2 

-reduction: 60-120 kt 

• The energy consumption for making a SWT-2.3-series’ turbine is 

generated within 3-6 months 

• Metal parts can be recycled or disposed 

• At present glass fiber parts are stored – recycling possibilities in the near 

future 



Onshore and 

offshore wind farms 

Whitelee Onshore Wind Farm 

• Europe`s largest onshore wind farm. On Whitelee, Scotland, with an installed capacity 

of 322 MW 

• Late summer 2008 - approximately half of the turbines installed 

Burbo Offshore Wind Farm 

• 2007: the first offshore wind farm with 3.6 MW turbines installed in only one and a half 

months 

• Total capacity of 90 MW located in the approach to Liverpool Bay 

• Burbo Wind farm can supply over 80,000 households 

Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm 

• World's largest offshore wind farm ever contracted. 

• Located 25 kilometers off the east coast of Suffolk in Great Britain 

• 140 wind turbines of type SWT-3.6-107 will provide about 504 MW in 2010 

• Green electricity can supply more than 415,000 homes 



Innovations 

Turbine Conditioning Monitoring 

• Flexible On-line System 

• Designed to continuously monitor the external and 

internal state of the wind turbine. 

• Detects significant deviations from normal operating 

condition when they occur. 

Integral Blades 

• Patented manufacturing process 

• Delivers an unique integrated blade with excellent 

power and noise performance 

• Based on vacuum-assisted resin injection without 

adhesives or chemicals 

• Eliminates glue joints 

• “State-of-the-art” technology 



Two exceptional innovations 

Direct Drive 

• Direct Drive generator enables direct connection 

between the rotor and the generator without a gearbox 

• Optimum production efficiency and reliability due to 

elimination of gearbox losses 

• Low generator losses as result of permanent magnet 

• Reduced maintenance costs 

Hywind 

• Cooperation on technology with Statoil Hydro to 

develop World's first floating off-shore installation 

• Siemens will deliver (2009) the first wind turbine for the 

demonstration unit, which will be positioned off the 

coast of Norway 

• Floating offshore turbines could be installed at sites 

with greater water depths 

• Reduced visual impact and increased power 

production due to strong and stable wind conditions 



The blade - IntegralBlade ® 

• The blade is manufactured in a single 

operation, using a closed process 

invented by Siemens Wind Power 

• No glue joints between spars and shells, 

no weak points, no easy access for water 

or lightning 

• Combining superior strength with 

excellent power and noise performance 



Technology Development 

7,031 installed WTGs worldwide with a capacity of 7,043 MW 

(as per May 1, 2008) 

kW class 

• Stall technology 

• SWT-0.6-44 : 1,310 WTG 

• < 600 kW: 2,330 WTG 

MW class 

• CombiStall technology 

• SWT-1.0-54: 356 WTG 

• SWT-1.3-62: 1,475 WTG 

• SWT-2.0-76: 165 WTG 

• SWT-2.3-82: 506 WTG 

SWT-2.0-76 

Multi-MW class 

• Pitch technology with variable speed 

• SWT-2.3-82 VS and SWT-2.3-93: >847 WTG 

• SWT-3.6-107: >42 WTG 

SWT-2.3-82 

SWT-2.3-82 VS 

SWT-3.6-107 

SWT-1.0-54 

SWT-1.3-62 

SWT-2.3-93 

SWT-0.6-44 

Current product portfolio 

WTG = Wind turbine generator 



Technology Evolution 

Stall Technology: 

• 600 kW and smaller 

• Single Speed Shaft, Fixed Blade Design 

CombiStall Technology: 

• 1 MW to 2.3 MW 

• Single Speed Shaft, Variable Pitch 

• Limited, low-speed blade pitch adjustment to control output 

• Limited ancillary service capability (frequency regulation, etc.) 

Grid 

Transformer 

Main 

circuit 

breaker 

Frequency converter 

M 

asynchronious 

machine 

Gear 

box 

Rotor 

Variable Speed/Pitch Technology: 

• 2.3 MW and higher (current offering) 

• Full Converter – Rapid Response 

• Variable Speed Shaft (but gearbox), Variable Pitch 

• Large Range of Possible Capabilities and Ancillary Services. 

• Prospective capabilities include Low Voltage Ride Through, Ramp 

Rate Control, Frequency Regulation, etc. 

Next Step? 

• Possibly Direct Drive (eliminate gearbox) – under review and 

evaluation. 



SWT-2.3-93 wind turbine 

Main data: 

Rotor diameter: 

93 m 

Blade Length: 

45 m 

Swept area: 6,800 m 2 

Hub height: 

80 m 

Power regulation: 

pitch regulated 

Annual output at 8 m/s 8,800 MWh 

Blade weight: 

11 t 

Rotor weight: 

60 t 

Nacelle weight: 

82 t 

80 m tower weight: 162 t 

Experience data: 

Prototype installed: 2004-2005 

Serial production: 2005 



SWT-3.6-107 wind turbine 

Main data: 

Rotor diameter: 

107 m 

Blade Length: 

52 m 

Swept area: 9,000 m 2 

Hub height: 

80-90 m 

Power regulation: 

pitch regulated 

Annual output at 8 m/s 12,700 MWh 

Blade weight: 

17 t 

Rotor weight: 

95 t 

Nacelle weight: 

125 t 

80 m tower weight: 250 t 

Experience data: 

Prototype installed: 2004 

Serial production: 2006 



Project Size 

On- and Offshore Projects 

World’s largest 

Onshore Windfarm 

(King Mountain/ 

USA), 278 MW 

Smøla I+II 

(NOR) 

150 MW 

2005 

Burbo Banks 

Offshore wind 

farm (UK) 

90 MW 

2006 

2007 

2003 

2001 

1991 

1998 

2000 


Offshore Windfarm (Nysted/DK), 

166 MW 

Horse Hollow 

(US) 

299 MW 

World’s first 

Offshore Windfarm (Vindeby/DK), 

5 MW 


Offshore Windfarm 

(Middelgrunden/DK), 40 MW 



Thank your for your time. 

Questions?

Siemens Wind Power: Technical Developments

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?