Siemens has unveiled the SWT-2.3-120, the company's first wind turbine designed to specifically meet the demands of its North and South American customers.
The machine features a 120-meter rotor and is the next step in the evolution of Siemens' G2 product platform. Siemens says the turbine was developed with an eye toward increasing energy production for sites with medium- to low-wind conditions, which are prevalent in markets within the Americas region. In fact, the company says that at wind speeds ranging from 6 m/sec to 8.5 m/sec, the new SWT-2.3-120 can yield an increase of nearly 10% in annual energy production compared to its predecessor, the SWT-2.3-108.
The SWT-2.3-120 employs advanced technology, including a drive train and a newly developed 59-meter-long rotor blade optimized to deliver maximum energy capture in such wind conditions.
Siemens notes that its blade factory in Fort Madison, Iowa, and Siemens aerodynamic engineering center in Boulder, Colo., were heavily involved in the development of the refined product and its aeroelastically tailored blade.
The company adds that the product design also incorporates several added safety and operational benefits related to the service and maintenance of the turbines, including increased accessibility of key components and access to the weather station from inside the nacelle.
‘We designed the SWT-2.3-120 with the requirements of the Americas region in mind,’ says Markus Tacke, CEO of Siemens' wind power and renewables division. ‘This new wind turbine will ideally serve its home market and also strengthen our export business.’
The nacelles and hubs for the forthcoming turbine will be assembled at the Siemens facility in Hutchinson, Kan. Serial production of the SWT-2.3-120 will commence in 2017.
