GE Wind Energy

GE Wind Energy
Industry Wind power
Predecessor Zond
Founded 1980
Founder James Dehlsen
Headquarters Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
  • Jérôme Pécresse (CEO of GE Renewable Energy)
  • Pete McCabe (CEO of Onshore Wind)
  • John B. Lavelle (CEO of Offshore Wind)
Products Wind turbines, sale and services of wind farms
Revenue
Owner General Electric
Website https://www.gerenewableenergy.com/wind-energy.html/

GE Wind Energy is a branch of GE Renewable Energy a subsidiary of General Electric. The company manufactures and sells wind turbines to the international market. In 2016, GE was the second largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world.[1]

History

Enron Wind acquisition era (2002-2015)

The entity was created as developer (not manufacturer) Zond in 1980 by James G.P. Dehlsen, who also formed Clipper Windpower in 2001. Enron acquired Zond and the German manufacturer Tacke in 1997.

In 2002 GE acquired the wind power assets of Enron during its bankruptcy proceedings while gas turbine sales slumped.[2] Enron Wind was the only surviving US manufacturer of large wind turbines at the time, and GE increased engineering and supplies for the Wind Division and doubled the annual sales to $1.2B in 2003. It acquired ScanWind in 2009.[3]

In 2011, GE acquired Wind Tower Systems LLC, a manufacturer of space frame wind turbine towers.[4]

As of 2016, GE has a nacelle production capacity of 4.8 GW, some of which is in Florida.

Growth and acquisitions (2015-)

After the acquisition of Alstom's energy generating assets (2015) GE's wind portfolio was expanded to include the 6MW 'Haliade' offshore turbine from Alstom Wind, which became GE Wind (offshore). The same year, GE added Blade Dynamics Ltd., a designer and manufacturer of modular wind turbine blades with principal facilities on the Isle of Wight and in Southampton.

GE acquired LM Wind Power from Doughty Hanson & Co for an enterprise value of €1.5 billion in April 2017.[5]

Products

GE Wind Turbines

Product name Power rating Rotor diameter Hub height IEC Wind Class
GE 1.5se[6] 1.5MW 70.5m 54.7m
GE 1.5sle[7] 1.5MW 77m 61.4m
GE 1.5xle[8] 1.5MW 82.5m 59m
GE 1.x-82.5[9] 1.6-1.85MW 82.5m 121.25m IIs
GE 1.x-87 1.6-1.85MW 87m 80m IIs
GE 2.5xl 2.5MW 100m 85m IIb
GE 1.x-100/103 1.6-1.7MW 100m/103m 80, 96m IIIs
GE 3.x-103 2.5-3.2MW 103m 98, 75, 85m IIb
GE 3.x-137 3.2-3.8MW 137m 110 to 164m III
GE 3.x-130 3.2-3.8MW 130m 85 to 164m II
GE 2.x-116 2.0-2.5MW 116m 80, 90, 94m IIs/IIIs
GE 2.x-120 2.5-2.75MW 120m 85, 110, 120, 139m IIIs, DiBT WZII
GE 2.x-127 2.2-2.5MW 127m 89m IIs/IIIs
GE 4.2-117[10] (Typhoon class) 4.2MW 117m
GE 4.8-158[11] 4.8MW 158m 101, 120.9, 149, 161m s
ECO 80[12] 1.67-2MW 80m 70-80m
ECO 86 1.67MW 86m 80m
ECO 100 3.0MW 100m 75, 90, 100m
ECO 110 3.0MW 110m 75, 90, 100m
ECO 122 2.7-3.0MW 122m 89, 119, 139m
GE 3.6sl (offshore)[13] 3.6MW 111m
GE 4.1-113 (offshore) 4.1MW 113m Ib
GE Haliade 150-6 (offshore)[14] 6MW 150m 110m or site-specific Ib
GE Haliade-X (offshore)[15] 12MW 220m up to 150m Ib
GE 1.5MW Wind Turbine

GE onshore wind turbines

The GE platform began development with the creation of the 1.5MW series of wind turbines which was developed with the cooperation of the United States Department of Energy.[16] It consisted of three fibreglass blades attached to a horizontal axis hub. The hub is connected to the main shaft which turns a multi-stage system of gears. The gears increase the rotational rate and send the kinetic energy obtained from the wind to a doubly fed electric machine, where it is converted into electrical energy. The angle of the blades and the direction which the turbine faces are controlled by an active, all electric pitch and yaw system. The generator and gearbox are contained in the nacelle which is further insulated to minimize noise emissions.

Several optional features support its presence in electrical grids, including voltage regulation, low voltage ride through, and the delivery of reactive power during grid disturbances or periods of low wind.

To further wind power research, a unit was commissioned at the National Wind Technology Center in late 2009. Its 10,000 installations in the US at the time constituted 50% of the national commercial wind energy fleet, influencing the NREL's decision to install a model at the Center.

The next evolution, the 2.5XL used a permanent magnet generator, and its entire output was converted to AC at mains frequency.The platform was then moved back to the use of a doubly fed generator and rotor converter similar to the 1.5 series.

As of 2017 GE had over 35,000 turbines installed across the globe [1].

GE offshore wind turbines

The offshore GE 3.6 SL model was installed in 2003 at the Arklow Bank Wind Park.[17]

In the early 2010s GE cancelled its development of a 4.1MW offshore wind turbine - the sole built example, owned by Goteborg Energi was erected in Goteborg in 2011.

Following the purchase of the Ecotècnia by Alstom and the acquisition of Alstom by GE, production started in 2016 at the St. Nazaire factory for the 6MW Haliade offshore turbine featuring a permanent magnet design. This unit started an extended test period in Spring 2016 at Østerild Wind Turbine Test Field.

Key projects

The 845MW Shepherds Flat Wind Farm in Oregon is the first windpark in the United States to utilize this model as its primary wind turbine.

The Fantanele-Cogealac wind farm in Romania, constructed in 2008, uses 240 GE 2.5xl wind turbines capable of generating 600MW, powering a million Romanian households each year.[18]

The offshore GE 3.6 SL model was installed at the Arklow Bank Wind Park.

Through the provision of 179 GE 3.6-137 turbines to Markbyden in Sweden, GE will create the largest single onshore wind installation in Europe. Norsk Hydro will purchase the power via a 19-year fixed volume corporate PPA; understood to be the largest corporate wind energy PPA in the world.[19]

In April 2018 General Electric announced that it will begin testing the world’s largest wind turbine – the Haliade-X – at its facilities in Blyth, England. General Electric’s renewable energy department signed a five-year contract with the British government-funded Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to begin trials of the 12-megawatt turbine[20].

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kronsbein (2017-04-04). "MAKE publishes Global Wind Turbine OEM 2016 Market Share analysis". Sun & Wind Energy. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  2. ↑ "G.E. to Buy Enron Wind-Turbine Assets". New York Times. 12 April 2002. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "GE boosts offshore wind with acquisition". CNET. 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  4. ↑ "GE Acquires Tall Turbine Tech From Wind Tower Systems – TechCrunch". techcrunch.com. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  5. ↑ "GE Completes Acquisition of LM Wind Power". GE Newsroom. 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  6. ↑ "GE Energy 1.5se - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  7. ↑ "GE Energy 1.5sle - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  8. ↑ "GE Energy 1.5xle - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  9. ↑ "Wind Turbines | GE Renewable Energy". www.gerenewableenergy.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  10. ↑ "Riders On The Storm: GE Is Building A Wind Turbine That Can Weather Violent Typhoons, Hurricanes - GE Reports". GE Reports. 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  11. ↑ "4.8-158 Onshore Wind Turbine | GE Renewable Energy". www.ge.com. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  12. ↑ Bauer, Lucas. "Wind turbines database". en.wind-turbine-models.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  13. ↑ "GE Energy 3.6sl - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  14. ↑ Bauer, Lucas. "Alstom Haliade 150 - 6,00 MW - Wind turbine". en.wind-turbine-models.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  15. ↑ "World's Largest Offshore Wind Turbine | Haliade-X | GE Renewable Energy". www.ge.com. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  16. ↑ "Wind and Water Power Program: Large Wind Technology". 2010-07-12. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  17. ↑ "Arklow Bank (Ireland) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  18. ↑ "GE says 600 MW Fantanele-Cogealac wind farm in Romania fully operational". Renewablesnow.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  19. ↑ "GE and Green Investment Group to Deliver 650 MW of Onshore Wind to Sweden". GE Newsroom. 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  20. ↑ "General Electric to debut world’s largest wind turbine in UK" Inhabitat, April 24, 2018
  • "GE Wind Turbine, Features & Benefits".
  • "Granite Industrial Services, Wholly Owned Affiliate of the General Electric Co".
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