GE Renewable Energy unveils new 5.3MW Onshore Wind Platform
General Electric (GE) has unveiled its new onshore wind platform, featuring a novel turbine design.
The platform, named Cypress, features a 5.3-158 turbine. GE states that it enables significant improvements in annual energy production (AEP) – in fact, the new platform offers a 50% increase in AEP when compared with GE’s 3MW platform.
The 5.3-158 is set to produce over 20GWh per year which GE says will provide for the equivalent of 5,200 European residential homes.
See also:
GE’s LM Wind Power to acquire WMC turbine blade test facility
Read the latest issue of Energy Digital magazine
The two-piece blade design means that blades will be longer and larger turbines can be installed in locations which would previously have been inaccessible. Blade assembly onsite will now be possible and as such, logistics costs will be lower.
The blade tips featured on the design will also offer greater flexibility to wind conditions and customer requirements.
GE said in a statement: “The machine is specifically designed for services, with enhancements to help with facilitating up-tower repairs and troubleshooting with its up-tower electrical system while also pushing the limits of traditional reliability levels on major components, through increased systems level hardware testing and more robust manufacturing processes.
“The combination of planned, condition-based and predictive services will help to ensure more reliability, uptime and production while ultimately lowering lifecycle costs for the consumer.”
Pete McCabe, CEO of GE’s Onshore Wind Business said: “The Cypress platform builds on our track record of success and positions our technology for scalability and flexibility for the coming years… This platform, which reflects our relentless focus on quality, will enable our customers to achieve a new level of competitiveness in the power generation marketplace.”
Duncan Berry, CEO of GE’s LM Wind Power said: “This exciting blade enhancement is revolutionising the offerings that we can provide for GE’s customers… by looking at this blade in an entirely new way, we achieved a technology breakthrough that will allow us to bring the new blades to market even faster for our customers.”
