Siemens has installed a market-ready version of its new 6 MW gearless wind turbine on the test site at Hunterston of the power utility SSE, the UK’s largest generator of renewable energy. Together with its customer, Siemens plans to carry out final testing at the site before going ahead with series production for the UK market but also for international markets.
The turbine, of type SWT-6.0-154 with a 154 metre rotor diameter, offers direct drive technology.
Thanks to its coastal location Hunterston is perfectly suited to testing of offshore wind turbines. The local wind conditions are similar to those to which offshore wind power plants in the Irish Sea are exposed.
Siemens is readying itself for Round 3, the next round of the expansion of British offshore wind power. Earlier this year, it installed two 6 MW turbines at the Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm operated by Dong Energy to carry out the first offshore testing of the turbine.
Jan Kjaersgaard, CEO for the EMEA Business Unit at Siemens Wind Power, commented: "The United Kingdom is backing our technology in a particular way. That’s why we are seeking to collaborate with the country’s power suppliers right from the product development stage through to commissioning. We are focused on making a visible contribution to the UK’s economy.
Siemens has also expanded its presence in Scotland with the recent opening of a new facility to support its onshore wind business across the UK based in Livingston near Glasgow. It will manage onshore projects in England, Scotland and Ireland, and co-ordinate construction, installation and EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) operations.
