Alstom Installing World’s Largest Offshore Wind Turbine off the Belgian Coast
November 20 2013 - 3:47AM
Business Wire
Regulatory News:
Alstom (Paris:ALO) has just completed this week-end the
seaside installation of its new-generation offshore wind turbine,
the 6-MW Haliade™ 150, off Ostend harbour at the Belwind site in
Belgium. This is the largest offshore wind turbine ever installed
in sea waters. Thanks to its 150-metre rotor (with blades
stretching 73.50 metre), the turbine is more efficient since its
yield is 15% better than existing offshore turbines, enabling it to
supply power to the equivalent of about 5,000 households.
Following successful tests performed on the first Haliade 150
commissioned in March 2012 at Le Carnet site in France, which
successfully obtained in May 2013 the IEC (International
Electrotechnical Commission) power performance measurement (power
curve1), this installation will help in confirming how the machine
behaves within the offshore environment for which it was
specifically designed and developed.
The 61-metre jacket has been set on top of pillars which have
been sunk to a depth exceeding 60 metres. Then the 3 elements of
the 78-metre tower were gradually assembled on the jacket. In all,
the nacelle towers at a height of over 100 metres above sea level.
The overall weight of the turbine and its structure totals 1,500
tonnes.
This new-generation wind turbine operates without a gearbox
(using direct drive). Thanks to a permanent-magnet generator, there
are less mechanical parts inside the device, making it more
reliable and thus helping to reduce operating and maintenance
costs. Lastly, the Haliade 150 features Alstom’s PURE TORQUE®
design, which protects the generator by diverting unwanted
mechanical stress towards the tower, thereby optimising
performance.
Now that it has installed this wind turbine in sea waters,
Alstom has reached an important milestone in the industrialisation
process of its 6-MW turbine. For its part, the Carnet wind turbine
should be securing its final certification during the first half of
2014. The construction of the two factories in Saint-Nazaire
(nacelles and generator) is well underway, and will end around
summer 2014. The construction of the two Cherbourg factories
(blades and towers) will follow.
“This project with Belwind asserts our technological leadership
and our innovative abilities. The installation of our turbine which
is simple, robust and efficient thus contributing in boosting the
competitiveness of offshore wind energy,” stated Alstom Wind Senior
Vice-President Alfonso Faubel.
“Belwind’s tried and tested expertise in completing offshore
projects and setting up wind farms has helped Alstom to perform the
installation work in sea waters under the best possible conditions.
We are convinced that Alstom’s innovative wind energy technology
will contribute in providing one of the future solutions to ensure
clean, reliable and efficient energy,” said Belwind chairman Wim
Biesemans.
About AlstomAlstom is a global leader in the world of
power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure and
sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly
technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest
capacity automated metro in the world, provides turnkey integrated
power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of
energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and
it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a
focus on smart grids. The Group employs 93,000 people in around 100
countries. It had sales of over €20 billion and booked close to €24
billion in orders in 2012/13.
1 Power curve: Determines the turbine’s electricity production
as a function of the average wind speed
Press contactsVirginie Hourdin / Claire Biau – Tel.: +33
1 41 49 21 36 / 39 95virginie.hourdin-bremond@chq.alstom.com ;
claire.biau@alstom.comStephanie Roux –
Jerome Bridon (Alstom Renewable Power) – Tel.:+ +33 1 41 49 78 62 /
38 78stephanie.roux@power.alstom.com ;
jerome.bridon@power.alstom.comSonia Thibaut (Alstom Belgium) –
Tel.: +32 71445611 / +32 473933873
sonia.thibaut@crn.alstom.comorInvestor relationsDelphine
Brault, Anouch Mkhitarian – Tel. +33 1 41 49 26 42/25
13delphine.brault@chq.alstom.com ,
anouch.mkhitarian@chq.alstom.comorWebsite:www.alstom.com
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