To 14 MW and beyond

Above: Visualisation of the SG 14-222 DD

The increase in offshore wind turbine unit capacity has been remarkable in recent years, with Siemens Gamesa recently launching a 14 MW direct drive machine, the SG 14-222 DD, able to reach an astonishing 15 MW with the company’s Power Boost technology. It is expected to be commercially available in 2024, with a prototype ready in 2021.

The way things are going in the new era of subsidy free offshore wind, with growing pressure to reduce LCOE (levelised cost of electricity), yet larger machines than the SG 14- 222 DD are likely to become available in the not too distant future, but for the moment Siemens Gamesa’s new turbine holds the record, usurping GE’s 12 MW Haliade.

Among key features of the new offering (designed for IEC wind class I,S) are: 222 m diameter rotor; 108 m long blades (employing IntegralBlade one-piece-casting technology); 39 000 m2 swept area; 500 t nacelle weight; 25 year projected liefetime.

Siemens Gamesa estimates that the new turbine will achieve an increase of more than 25% in annual energy production compared with the SG 11.0-200 DD offshore wind turbine.

The company says the relatively low nacelle weight enables use of an optimised tower and foundation substructure compared to a heavier nacelle, resulting in lower installation and transportation costs.

The new machine builds on experience gained from five product generations since the direct drive platform was launched in 2011.

And already Siemens Gamesa can point to a “conditional order backlog” for the new SG 14-222 DD amounting to 2940 MW, consisting of projects in the USA and Taiwan.

In the USA Siemens Gamesa says it will “conditionally supply” SG 14-222 DD turbines to the 2640 MW Dominion Energy Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) commercial project, with turbine installations expected to be completed by 2026. The agreement is however subject to certain conditions, not least Dominion’s final investment decision, as well as permitting and other necessary approvals.

Siemens Gamesa was named as the preferred turbine supplier for the CVOW commercial project in January 2020.

Dominion Energy’s commercial offshore wind project will build on experience gained via the two-turbine,12 MW CVOW pilot project, to be installed within a research lease area adjacent to site of the 2,640 MW commercial project, and due to be on line later this year. The CVOW pilot will be the first offshore wind facility to be built in US federal waters and will use Siemens Gamesa’s 6-MW SWT-6.0-154 (first generation direct drive) wind turbines.

Meanwhile, in Taiwan, Siemens Gamesa and Hai Long Offshore Wind (Hai Long) have announced that the new SG 14-222 DD turbine is “intended to be used at the upcoming 300 MW Hai Long 2 project”, while “the deployment of the turbine for the rest of the 1044 MW Hai Long pipeline is also being considered.”

The preferred supplier agreement as published in November 2019 nevertheless remains subject to contract and final investment decision from the consortium partners, Northland Power (Canadian IPP) and Taiwan-based developer Yushan Energy, jointly owned by Mitsui (Japan) and Yushan Energy (Singapore).

The Hai Long offshore wind power plant was awarded through the 2018 grid allocation mechanism in Taiwan. The project site is about 50 km off the coast of Changhua County.

Over 1000 Siemens Gamesa direct drive offshore wind turbines have been installed in offshore wind markets globally.

Recent orders have been for French projects: from EDF, Enbridge and wpd for the 497 MW Fe´camp project, which will be equipped with 71 SWT-7.0-154 (second generation direct drive) turbines; and from the Ailes Marines consortium (Iberdrola affiliate) for the 496 MW Bay of St. Brieuc wind farm, which will use 62 62 SG 8.0-167 DD turbines (fourth generation direct drive) and was Siemens Gamesa’s first offshore project win in France.

Turbines for both these projects will be manufactured at the 20 hectare facility Siemens Gamesa is to build in Le Havre, France, said to be the first factory in the world to be able to manufacture all main offshore wind turbine components under one roof.

Siemens Gamesa says it expects to receive orders shortly for further French offshore wind projects (Courseulles sur mer, Dieppe le Tre´port and Yeu Noirmoutier), amounting to nearly 1500 MW of additional capacity.

Go ahead for subsidy-free HKZ 1-4

Siemens Gamesa 11 MW direct drive (fifth generation) wind turbines will be deployed at Hollandse Kust Zuid 1-4, total installed capacity 1500 MW, expected to be the world’s largest operating offshore wind farm when completed in 2023.

Vattenfall is proceeding with the project following a positive FID announced in early June, Covid 19 notwithstanding.

Vattenfall was awarded permits for construction of HKZ after winning two subsidy-free tender rounds in 2018 and 2019.
The two projects have been combined into one wind farm to optimise the process