Siemens Wind Power

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Siemens Wind Power
Subsidiary
Industry Wind power industry
Predecessor Danregn Vindkraft A/S
Bonus Energy A/S
Founded 1980 in Brande, Denmark
Founder Peter Stubkjær Sørensen
Egon Kristensen
Headquarters Hamburg, Germany /, Brande, Denmark
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Markus Tacke (CEO),[1] Henrik Stiesdal (CTO)
Products Wind turbines
Number of employees
 7,800 (September 2011)
Parent Siemens
Website Siemens Wind Power

Siemens Wind Power, (formerly Danregn Vindkraft A/S and Bonus Energy A/S) is a wind turbine manufacturer established in 1980 as Danregn Vindkraft. Bonus Energy was acquired by Siemens of Germany in 2004. The organisation became a separate division of Siemens in 2011, with headquarters established in Hamburg, Germany.

In 2009 it had a market share of nearly 75% of European offshore wind turbines by capacity and number.[2] In 2011, Siemens Wind Power had 6.3% share of the world wind turbine market,[3] and was the second largest in 2014.[4]

History[edit]

External images
Danregn in 1982 - farm watering equipment and wind turbines

History of the company started in 1980, when Danish irrigation system manufacturer Danregn, diversified into the windturbine business; its first wind turbines were machines with rotor diameters of around 10 m (33 ft) with generator powers of 20 to 30 kW (27 to 40 hp).[5][6][7] In 1981 the wind activities were separated into newly established company Danregn Vindkraft A/S, established by Peter Stubkjær Sørensen and Egon Kristensen in Brande, Denmark, with a capital of 300,000 kroner; the company's product was a 55 kW (74 hp), 15 m (49 ft) blade diameter turbine.[5][7][8][9]

Between 1982 and 1987 the company exported wind turbines to the USA in collaboration with Difko AS, in response to a wind farm building boom promoted by government subsidies;[5][7] the company changed its name from Danregn Vindkraft to Bonus Energy in 1983, an easier name for the English speaking North American market.[6][10]

In 1991, eleven 450 kW Bonus turbines were installed in the Vindeby Wind Farm (Denmark), the first offshore wind farm in the world.[11][12]

The company sourced its first blades from Viborg based company Økær Vind Energi.[13] Later it sourced blades from LM Wind Power. In the late 1990s Bonus began to develop its own blades, beginning production in the early 2000s in Aalborg.[14][note 1]

Bonus AS was sold to Siemens in 2004 for an undisclosed amount,[15] but before the sale the value was assessed to be somewhere between DKK 1.5 (USD 240 million) and 2.5 billion (USD 400 million).[16] The sales and project management headquarters moved to Hamburg, Germany in May 2009.[17]

Siemens 2.3 MW Wind Power turbines at Wildorado Wind Ranch (2010)

Between 2004 and 2011, Siemens grew wind power from 0.5% to 5% of the combined Siemens turnover, with employees growing from 800 to 7,800, of which 5,200 are in Denmark,[18] and 1,000 in Germany.[19] The growth included the expansion of production, warehousing and offices at its Brande site in 2005/6;[20] acquisition in 2006 of a former LM Glasfiber wind turbine blade factory in Engesvang, Denmark;[21] construction of a blade factory in Fort Madison, Iowa, USA in 2007;[20] a hub factory in Ølgod began production in 2008;[22] and a nacelle manufacturing plant was established in Hutchinson, Kansas, USA between 2009 and 2010, opening in December 2010.[23] Additionally Bonus Energy sales and service partner company AN Windenergie GmbH in Bremen (Germany) was acquired in 2005.[20][24]

In mid-2008 the company began testing of development prototypes of direct drive wind turbines; units based on the geared SWT-3.6-107 were installed in 2008 with a permanent magnet generator directly replacing the gearbox and alternator;[25][note 2] Successful tests led to development of a new production design by 2009.[27] A prototype of the new direct drive design, an IEC 61400 wind class IA, 3MW machine (SWT 3.0-101 DD) was installed near Brande, Denmark in 2009.[27][28] The 3MW design was launched as a product in April 2010 and significantly reduced complexity (half the components)[29] and lower nacelle weight than earlier 2.3MW designs.[30] A 2.3MW version for lower wind speeds (SWT-2.3-113) was launched in 2011.[31]

In 2010 Siemens Wind Power acquired 49% of A2SEA (an offshore wind farm installation company) from DONG Energy for a price of DKK 860m.[32][33]

A factory established by Siemens Wind Power Blades (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (SWPB) in Linggang near the Yangshan Deep Water Port began production in 2010.[34] Additionally in December 2010 Siemens announced it would install a blade factory at an existing unused facility in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada.[35] In early 2011 Siemens and ABP announced the development of a £210 million turbine assembly plant, and dock development at Alexandra Dock, in Kingston upon Hull, UK.[36][37]

In 2011 Siemens' wind power operations were split into a separate division, 'Wind Power'; with its other renewable energy activities place into a 'Solar & Hydro' division, the divisions headquarters were established in Hamburg on 1 October 2011, the European offshore wind headquarters remained in Brande, Denmark.[19][38][39]

In July 2012, the company agreed to supply Dong Energy with 300 direct drive, 75m blade, 6 MW SWT-6.0-154 turbines for the English offshore market from 2014. Two turbines are to be installed for testing at the Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm.[40] The value of the contract was estimated at over £2 billion.[41][42]

In September 2012 Siemens Wind announced the lay off of 615 of a workforce of around 1650 workers in the United States, citing reduced demand for wind turbines due to uncertainty concerning future tax break incentives in the USA for wind power.[43]

In March 2014 Siemens and Associated British Ports (ABP) finalised the 2011 MOU to build a turbine factory in Hull, UK ('Green Port Hull'), and announced an additional facility near Paull, East Riding of Yorkshire, east of Hull which would manufacture rotor blades for turbines.[44][45] In 2014 the planned factory at Paull was abandoned, with all production to be concentrated at the Alexandra dock site.[46] Revised plans for the site submitted April 2015 included only a blade manufacturing factory at the site with no nacelle production.[47]

In early 2015 Siemens announced it had reached agreements to build 2GW of wind turbines in Egypt, and to construct a blade factory in that country, as part of a larger power generation agreement.[48][49] The €8 billion, 16.4GW energy development deal was signed in June 2015, including a ~1000 worker blade factory in Ain Soukhna and 12 wind farms (600 turbine, 2GW) in the Gulf of Suez and west Nile areas of Egypt.[50]

In Aug 2015 Siemens announced it was to construct a new nacelle manufacturing plant at Cuxhaven, Germany, an investment of £200 million. The plant was expected to become operational mid 2017, and employ 1000 people.[51][52]

Operations[edit]

Siemens Wind has R&D, and production facilities in Brande, Denmark. Blade production is located in Aalborg and Engesvang (Denmark), Linggang (China), Fort Madison, Iowa (USA) and Tillsonburg, Ontario (Canada).

Other established production sites included nacelle manufacture at Hutchinson, Kansas (USA) and hub production at Ølgod (Denmark).

A factory and logistics centre undertaking final assembly of 6MW offshore turbines, and a factory manufacturing 75 meter blades for the turbines are planned for Hull, with the rotor factory expected to be become operational between 2016 and 2017.[45]

Products[edit]

As of 2012 Siemens wind power products include 2.3MW turbines with rotor diameters of 82 to 113 m (269 to 371 ft), product codes: SWT-2.3-82; SWT-2.3-93; SWT-2.3-101; SWT-2.3-108; SWT-2.3-113, as well as 3.0MW turbines with 101m rotors, and 3.6MW turbines with 107 or 120 m (351 or 394 ft) rotors. Product codes SWT-3.0-101; SWT-3.6-107; SWT-3.6-120.[53]

In May 2011 testing began of a prototype 6MW direct drive design with a 120 to 154 m (394 to 505 ft) rotor, the design was launched as a product in November 2011.[54] In 2013 Siemens announced a development of its 3.6MW design, the SWT 4.0-130 which used a rotor of diamter 130m with 4MW rated power. At the same time the company introduced new product platform codes for its products, with 'G' indicating geared drive, and 'D' indicating direct drive, suffixed by a number indicating an approximate power class. The four initial product ranges were Siemens G2, G4, D3 and D6.[55]

Fiberglass-reinforced epoxy blades of Siemens SWT-2.3-101 wind turbines.
Fiberglass-reinforced epoxy blades of Siemens SWT-2.3-101 wind turbines. The blade size of 49 meters[56] is in comparison to a substation behind them at Wolfe Island Wind Farm.

Joint ventures[edit]

In December 2011 Siemens signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Shanghai Electric for wind power supply in China.[57]

Research and development[edit]

Hywind floating wind turbine.

By 2010 Siemens Wind Power had filed 242 wind turbine patents on the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office database (UK-IPO), while Vestas has filed 787 and General Electric has 666.[58]

In 2008, a R&D center was opened in Boulder, Colorado, stating that it could recruit higher quality aerodynamicists in the location than in Denmark.[59][60]

In 2009 Siemens supplied a special SWT-2.3-82 turbine installed on "Hywind", the first large capacity floating wind turbine in the world, developed by Statoil.[61]

In around 2010 Siemens has a goal of reducing the cost per kilowatt-hour to €0.05 for onshore windpower and to €0.10 for offshore wind by 2020,[note 3] many of the cost saving mechanisms were based on practice originating in the auto industry. Potential cost reductions included: automation/robotisation of blade manufacture and tailor woven glass fibre mats to reduce to simplify the blade manufacturing process; use of standardised components across product ranges to reduce overall component costs; elimination of geared generator drives to reduce maintenance cost; and modularisation of nacelle design, splitting generator and power conversion into separate modules, with the aim of additional flexibility in manufacture, and reduced transportation costs due reduced weight of the modules. The company also offered shorter length bolted tower sections allowing container transportation, and simplified mass production.[29]

In a Life-cycle assessment, SWP calculates that the energy for manufacturing a 6MW direct drive wind turbine is made back in under 10 months depending on circumstances.[63][64]

See also[edit]

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Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The blade factory in Aalborg was established in part due to local experience in construction with fibreglass, as used at the Danyard Aalborg shipyard in construction of the Flyvefisken class patrol vessel.[14]
  2. ^ The quantity of permanent magnet material used in the generator has been estimated at around 2 tonnes.[26]
  3. ^ Example, in 2011 Duddon Sands wind farm (108 3.6MW turbines) cost €700million to construct, or €6.5 million per turbine, or €1,800 capital cost excluding maintenance per kW generating capacity.[62]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Maskiningeniør ny CEO i Siemens’ vindkraftdivision", Ingeniøren (in Danish), 1 July 2013 
  2. ^ Wilkes, Justin (January 2010), The European offshore wind industry - key trends and statistics 2009 (PDF), EWEA, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  3. ^ Backwell, Ben (7 March 2012), "Gamesa back in wind top-five as GE drops out - analysts", Recharge (NHST Media Group), archived from the original on 9 April 2012, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  4. ^ Badstue Pedersen, Maria Berg. "BTM: Vestas stadig nummer et" Energy Supply, 30 March 2015.
  5. ^ a b c "BONUS Energy Profile - History", www.bonus.dk (Bonus Energy AS), archived from the original on 31 March 2001, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  6. ^ a b "Discover the unique power of the wind" (PDF). Vestas. pp. 11–12. Retrieved 27 September 2012. 
  7. ^ a b c Glen, Gregory (26 May 2009). Siemens Wind Power's supplier base: expectations and challenges (PDF). Wind Power & Industry. www.nätverketförvindbruk.se (Kalmar, Sweden: Siemens). Retrieved 24 January 2013. 
  8. ^ Grove-Nielsen, Erik. "NIVE and FolkeCenter". windsofchange.dk. Retrieved 20 October 2010. 
  9. ^ Ostrynski, Nathalie (29 March 2009). "Milliardæren fra Brande" [Millionaire from Brande]. Berlingske Tidende (in Danish). Retrieved 24 January 2013. 
  10. ^ Beattie, David (20 December 2010). "Key Players in the Wind Energy". REVE. Retrieved 27 September 2012. 
  11. ^ Wilkes, Justin, Operational offshore wind farms in Europe, end 2009 (PDF), EWEA, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  12. ^ Christensen, Allan S.; Madsen, Morten (29 August 2005), Supply Chain study on the Danish offshore wind industry (PDF), Offshore Center Danmark, Vindeby, p.34, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  13. ^ Grove-Nielsen, Erik. "Økær Vind Energi 1977 - 1981". windsofchange.dk. Retrieved 27 September 2012. Økær Vind Energi delivered the first 5 m blades for Bonus in December 1980 - for their prototype. At that time the company name was Danregn Vindkraft A/S 
  14. ^ a b Sources:
  15. ^ Hoel, Amanda (1 November 2004), "A wind Bonus for Siemens", www.powerengineeringint.com, retrieved 24 January 2013 
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  22. ^ Eilers, Henrik (11 February 2008), "Ny Siemens-fabrik i Ølgod er køreklar", www.metal-supply.dk, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  23. ^ Sources:
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  28. ^ de Vries, Eize (3 December 2008), "An Exclusive Look at the New Siemens 3-MW Direct-Drive Turbine", www.renewableenergyworld.com, retrieved 24 January 2013 
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  31. ^ Siemens launches new gearless wind turbine for low to moderate wind speeds, Siemens, 14 March 2011, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  32. ^ Stromsta, Karl-Erik (29 June 2010). "Siemens buys 49% A2SEA stake to deepen offshore ties". Recharge (NHST Media Group). Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013. 
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  34. ^ Sources:
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  40. ^ Siemens to supply 300 offshore wind turbines to DONG Energy, Siemens, 19 July 2012, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  41. ^ Murray, James (19 July 2012), "Siemens and Dong energy sign €2.5bn offshore wind power deal", The Guardian, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  42. ^ Gosden, Emily (19 July 2012), "Dong and Siemens sign £2.3bn deal for giant UK wind turbines", The Telegraph, retrieved 24 January 2013 
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  44. ^ "Siemens confirm Green Port Hull wind turbine factory to be built", BBC News, 25 March 2014 
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  46. ^ "Siemens combines Humber sites". renews.biz. 14 November 2014. 
  47. ^ Pringle Brandon Perkins + Will; Blue Sky Planning, "Siemens Green Port Hull Alexandra Dock, 30 March 2015, Planning and Design and Access Statement" (PDF), (15/00393/RES) Demolition of buildings and erection of new buildings (including part of a single building of 22.476m high; 73' 9") for the manufacture of wind turbine blades and the assembly, maintenance, storage and distribution (Use Class B1, B2 and B8) of wind turbine components [..] (planning application) (Hull City Council), §01.1-01.2, pp.6-7 
  48. ^ Egypt and Siemens to massively increase power generation capacity (PDF), Siemens, 14 March 2015 
  49. ^ Mahadevan, Neetha (14 March 2015), "Siemens Signs $4.2 Billion Power Deals in Egypt", www.wsj.com 
  50. ^ Siemens awarded record energy orders that will boost Egypt’s power generation by 50% (PDF) (Press release), Siemens, 3 June 2015 
  51. ^ Siemens to build wind power plant in Cuxhaven, Germany (Press release), Siemens, 5 Aug 2015 
  52. ^ "Siemens to build Cuxhaven plant", renews.biz, 5 Aug 2015 
  53. ^ Wind Turbines, Siemens, Our Portfolio, retrieved 24 August 2012 
  54. ^ Siemens launches new 6-MW direct drive offshore wind turbine, Siemens, 29 November 2011 
  55. ^ Siemens launches new 4-megawatt offshore wind turbine (PDF) (press release), Siemens, 5 February 2013 
  56. ^ "Aerodynamic and Performance Measurements on a SWT-2.3- 101 Wind Turbine" (PDF). WINDPOWER 2011. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 22–25 May 2011. p. 1. 
  57. ^ Siemens and Shanghai Electric agree on strategic wind power alliance for China, Siemens, 9 December 2011, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  58. ^ Rosen, Ellen (11 October 2010), Stolichnaya, Bank Of America: Intellectual Property, Bloomberg, retrieved 24 January 2013, Overall, the company [Vestas] has filed 787 patents connected to wind turbines, according to the Intellectual Property Office database. General Electric Co. has filed 666, Siemens AG has lodged 242 and Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica SA 102 
  59. ^ Wessel, Lene (26 September 2011), "Siemens continues hunt for engineers", ing.dk, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  60. ^ "Colorado Governor Ritter welcomes Siemens wind research center to Colorado", www.allamericanpatriots.com, 3 June 2008, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  61. ^ Hywind: Siemens and StatoilHydro install first floating wind turbine, Siemens, 10 June 2010, retrieved 24 January 2013 
  62. ^ Så meget koster en havvindmølle (in Danish), Hub North, 4 July 2011 
  63. ^ Wittrup, Sanne (26 November 2014), "6 MW vindmølle betaler sig energimæssigt tilbage 33 gange", Ingeniøren 
  64. ^ A clean energy solution – from cradle to grave - Offshore wind power plant employing SWT-6.0-154 (PDF) (Environmental Product Declaration , Press Release), Siemens 

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Siemens Wind Power.
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