GE’s acquisition of Wind Tower Systems LLC (WTS) will enable it to increase the height of its wind turbine towers cost-effectively, says the US energy systems giant.
GE has completed the acquisition of the Utah-based firm, which was established in 2002 with the goal of developing and commercialising lightweight, modular and taller wind turbine towers.
Increasing blade lengths and unit sizes in the wind turbine industry is necessitating the development of taller towers. According to GE, WTS has been working on the development of the space frame tower system technology for use at wind farm sites that require hub heights of 100 m or more.
The space frame tower technology is a highly engineered and optimized structure that will handle the unique static and dynamic loads generated by wind turbines. The firm has also developed innovative and cost-effective ways of transporting and installing these taller wind turbine towers.
“We see great potential in the addition of this technology to our portfolio not only for our customers but also for the wind industry as a whole,” said Victor Abate, vice president-renewable energy for GE Power & Water. “Taller towers are an essential complement to longer blades. Longer blades capture more energy and in turn improve return on investment for wind farm developers.”
“The taller space frame towers and integrated lifting system concepts, developed with the support of the US DOE and California Energy Commission, have been designed to drive lower wind energy costs,” said Thomas Conroy, CEO of Wind Tower Systems. ”We are delighted that the development of the company’s products will be completed and commercialized by GE.”
Plans are underway to install a prototype of the space frame tower system technology to validate and test its design later this year with commercial availability targeted for 2012.
