Siemens says the development of its 7 MW offshore wind turbine has reached its last stage, as the SWT-7.0-154 has successfully passed final type certification.
Because many of the technological components in this new turbine are the same as those of the Siemens SWT-6.0-154 – including the 154-meter rotor – serial production is scheduled to begin in fall 2017.
Furthermore, field testing of the SWT-7.0-154 was recently extended with a second prototype in Osterild, Denmark. Although the first machine, installed in summer 2015, was initially used for achieving the final type certificate, engineers are now able to use both prototypes for accelerated testing of all grid-related aspects such as performance, quality and safety. As the upgrades in the turbine consist mainly of changes to the permanent magnet generator, the power converter and medium-voltage transformer, the startup of both SWT-7.0-154 prototypes ran smoothly, according to Siemens.
“We are well on track,” says Morten Rasmussen, head of technology at Siemens’ wind power and renewables division. “We are proud to see our customers welcoming the upgrade, and ultimately, it is our customers who will benefit from these improvements.”
