Enercon

Last updated

Enercon GmbH
Company type GmbH
Industry Wind power industry
Founded1984 (1984)
Founder Aloys Wobben
Headquarters
Aurich
,
Germany
Key people
Udo Bauer
Products Wind turbines
OwnerAloys Wobben Foundation
Number of employees
~18,000
Website www.enercon.de

Enercon GmbH is a wind turbine manufacturer based in Aurich, Lower Saxony, Germany. It has been the market leader in Germany since the mid-1990s. [1] Enercon has production facilities in Germany (Aurich, Emden and Magdeburg), Brazil, India, Canada, Turkey and Portugal. In June 2010, Enercon announced that they would be setting up Irish headquarters in Tralee. [2]

Contents

The Aloys-Wobben-foundation of founder Aloys Wobben is owning the UEE Holding, which owns the Enercon GmbH. Aloys Wobben, Simon Wobben and Hans-Dieter Kettwich control the company. [3]

As of December 2017, Enercon had installed more than 26,300 wind turbines, with a power generating capacity exceeding 43 GW. [4] The most-often installed model is the E-40, which pioneered the gearbox-less design in 1993. [5] As of July 2011, Enercon has a market share of 7.2% world-wide (fifth-highest) and 59.2% in Germany. [6]

Enercon Headquarter in Aurich Enercon Verwaltung.jpg
Enercon Headquarter in Aurich
E-Ship 1 leaving Dieppe Bateau enercon P9240983 part.jpg
E-Ship 1 leaving Dieppe

Company structure

Aloys Wobben founded the Aloys-Wobbe-Stiftung. The foundations owns the UEE Holding, which Enercon belongs to.

Over 30 supply companys exclusively work for Enercon. In 2018 some of them like WEC Turmbau Emden, WEC Turmbau Magdeburg and Aero Ems GmbH announced, that they would fire employees, in total 800 workes. [7] Enercon declraed these companys would be completely independend.

In fact, the companies belong to the "Grp Aloys B A Wobben Breeze Trust" based in Luxembourg and the British Virgin Islands through nested ownership structures. At the time, the NDR assumed that the structure was set up so that Aloys Wobben could skim off his profits but not have to make any social obligations to his employees. [3]

History

In 1984 Aloys Wobben founded a wind turbine manufacturer called Enercon in Aurich by developing and producing wind turbines with three employees. In 1993, Wobben switched production to the gearless wind turbine with a full converter; a Technology that he had developed. The Enercon E-40 turbine met expectations and was gained worldwide success.

Wobben withdrew from the operational business in 2012 and transferred his company shares to the Aloys-Wobben Foundation with effect from 1 October 2012. Since 2016 his neff Simon Wobben is part of the managing team.

On 24 February 2022, the day of the Russian full scale invasion of Ukraine, the remote maintenance units of 5,800 Enercon wind turbines were affected by a suspected Russian cyber attack on the satellite system operator Viasat and had to be replaced. [8]

According to Forbes , Aloys Wobben had a net worth of $7.1 billion as of August 2021.

Technologies

Enercon wind turbines have some special technical features compared to turbines of most other manufacturers. Characteristic is the gearless propulsion concept, which Enercon pioneered since 1993. The first generation of gearless turbines was the E-40/500 kW series. (Earlier Enercon designs had a transmission train.) The hub with the rotor blades connects directly to the rotor of the ring generator (direct drive). The rotor unit rotates on a front and rear main bearing about a fixed axis. The speed of the rotor is transmitted directly to the high-pole synchronous generator, where the rotor rotates in the stator, differently. The Enercon generator has no permanent magnets, allowing the company to not rely on rare-earth metals. However, the direct connection also causes grid losses. Rotation speed and the mechanical load changes over the service life are lower than geared systems. Rotation speed varies from 18 to 45 revolutions per minute (RPM) for the E-33 and 5-11.7 RPM for the E-126 depending on wind speed, while a geared generator has a speed of about 1500 RPM at rated power. Thus the large Enercon generators lead to high tower head masses, and construction and logistical challenges. In 2022, the first integrated box-shaped nacelles with inverter and transformer reduced logistics - all previous Enercon turbines had power systems in the tower base. [9]

Most Enercon systems are visually distinct from systems of other manufacturers. Their nacelles have been drop-shaped since 1995/1996. This unique design was developed by British architect Norman Foster, who also designed the dome of the Berlin Reichstag. In Germany and many other countries, the tower has coloured green rings above the foundation, which get brighter from bottom to top. On islands such as Borkum, the gradation is blue. The NCS grading is intended to better integrate the plant towers into the horizon. The rotor blades were the only ones on the market with blade tips similar to the winglets on aircraft. [5] [10] [11] [12]

In 2008, the first E-126 turbines (successor of the E-112) were installed at sites throughout Germany and Belgium, including the Estinnes wind farm (consisting of eleven E-126 turbines) in Belgium. [13] Although the E-126 turbine was initially developed with a power rating of 6 MW, it has since been upgraded to 7.5 MW. The E-82 turbine was also upgraded and is available in 2, 2.3, and 3 MW versions. [14]

Currently Enercon does not offer or supply wind turbines to offshore projects and has at times expressed skepticism about offshore wind parks. [15] [16] Enercon was rumored to have been ready to supply turbines to Germany's Alpha Ventus offshore wind farm and to a near-shore park near Wilhelmshaven but did not do so. [17]

Turbines

Note: wind turbine designations with a "*" mean the turbine either temporarily unavailable, or has been taken off sale permanently.

Model NumberRated Power Output (based on variant)VariantsRotor Diameter (meters)Hub Height (meters)NotesSource(s)Number installed
E-10/E-12*30 kW0.3.10, 0.3.1210Developed in 2007, but unknown whether it's still being produced.3
E-15/16*55 kW0.55.15, 0.55.1615/16Developed 1984, no longer available [5] [18] [19] 46
E-17/E-18*80 kW0.8.17, 0.8.1817/18Developed and installed 1988, no longer available [5] [20] 158
E-30*300-330 kW3.3030, 3350Gearless direct-drive, discontinued due to "low demand" [21] 660, 576 (Original), 84 (revised)
E-32/33*100-300 kW1.32, 3.32, 1.33, 3.3332, 33.434, 35, 41, 47Geared turbines, replaced by E-30 DD model
1st generation E-33		 [22] [23] ? [ citation needed ]
E-40500 kW, 600 kW5.40, 6.4440, 44.5First gearless drive, no longer available [5] [24] [25] 5879 total (1887 original, 3992 revised)
E-44900 kW9.444545, 55 [5] [26] 563
E-48800 kW8.484850, 55, 56, 60, 65, 76 [5] [26] 1878
E-53800 kW8.5352.960, 73Prototype developed 2006 [5] [26] 1240
E-58*1 MW10.5858Prototype installed in 1998 - replaced by E-48, henceforth no longer available225
E-66*1.5 MW, 1.8 MW, 2.0 MW15.66, 15.70, 18.66, 18.70, 20.7066 & 70Prototype developed 1995, no longer available - replaced by E-70, E-82 and E-922486
E-702.0 MW, 2.320.71, 23.717157, 58, 64, 70, 74.5, 84, 98, 113Direct drive [5] [26] 4360
E-822 MW, 2.3 MW, 3MW20.82, 23.82, 30.828278, 84, 98, 108Direct drive [5] [26] 3146
E-922.35 MW24.929284, 98, 108, 138Direct drive
 [27] ~ 250 [ citation needed ]
E-1013 MW10199, 124, 135, 149Direct drive
Prototype installed June 2011		 [5] [26] ~1500 [ citation needed ]
E-103 EP22.35 MW24.103 (EP2)10398 or 138Direct drive - two prototypes installed in France in 20172 [ citation needed ]
E-112*4.5 MW, 6 MW60.114, 45.114112 & 114108, 124Replaced by E-126, no longer available [5] [28] [29] 9
E-1152.5 MW, 3.0 MW25.115, 30.11511592.5-149Direct drive [27] ? [ citation needed ]
E-126 6.0 MW, 7.58 MW60.126, 76.126126135Prototype developed October 2007 [5] [26] 95 as of autumn 2016
E-126 EP33.5 MW, 4.035.126 EP3, 40.126 EP312686, 116, or 135Based on a different platform to other Enercon turbines [30] 1 near Kirch Muslow
E-136 EP54.65MW47.136 (EP5)136109, 120, 132Based on Lagerwey's turbine platform13 Installed in Eemshaven port in the Netherlands
E-138 EP33.5MW, 4.0MW

4.2MW

35.138 (EP3), 40.138 (EP3)13881, 111, 131, or 160Based on a different platform to other Enercon turbines [31] 300+ (Estimated)
E-126 EP4 4.2MW4.2 MW42.126 (EP4)126135Designed for low-wind sites [32] [32]
E-141 EP4 4.2MW4.2 MW42.141 (EP4)141129 or 159Prototype installed, Number unknown [33] TBA [ citation needed ]
E-147 EP55MW50.147 (EP5)147126, 132, 143, 155Based on Lagerwey's turbine platform2
E-160 EP54.6MW46.160160120, 166Based on Lagerwey's platform2 (3 more to be built in Germany)

Issues

Patent dispute

Enercon was prohibited from exporting their wind turbines to the US until 2010 due to alleged infringement of U.S. patent 5,083,039 . [34] [35] In a dispute before the United States International Trade Commission, Enercon did not challenge the validity of the US patent but argued that their technology was not affected. The ITC decided that the patent covered the technology in question and banned Enercon turbines from the US market until 2010. [36] Later, a cross patent agreement was made with the competitor General Electric, the successor of Kenetech, after similar claims of Enercon against GE. According to a NSA employee detailed information concerning Enercon was passed on to Kenetech via ECHELON. [37] The aim of the alleged industrial espionage against Enercon was the forwarding of details of Wobben's generator technology to a US firm. [38]

Other ventures

From 2008 to 2020, Enercon was part owner of a railway company, that among other things owns the Abelitz–Aurich railway, (via de:Eisenbahninfrastrukturgesellschaft Aurich-Emden) which is used to deliver wind turbine blades made by Enercon via rail to customers. During the time Enercon part-owned the rail line, the company undertook large scale investments in its infrastructure [39] In 2020 Enercon sold its rail ventures To Hermann Bettels GmbH. [40]

Estinnes windfarm

Windpark Estinnes 20juli2010 kort voor voltooiing.jpg
The 11 turbine Estinnes Wind Farm in July 2011 before completion...
11 turbines E-126 7,5MW wind farm Estinnes Belgium.jpg
...and in October of 2011, two months right after completion. With each turbine producing 7.58MW, the total energy output of Estinnes Windpark is 83.4MW.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestas</span> Danish wind turbine company

Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines that was founded in 1945. The company operates manufacturing plants in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Taiwan, India, Italy, Romania, the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Australia, China, Brazil, Poland and the United States, and employs 29,000 people globally.

Doubly fed electric machines, also slip-ring generators, are electric motors or electric generators, where both the field magnet windings and armature windings are separately connected to equipment outside the machine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind turbine design</span> Process of defining the form of wind turbine systems

Wind turbine design is the process of defining the form and configuration of a wind turbine to extract energy from the wind. An installation consists of the systems needed to capture the wind's energy, point the turbine into the wind, convert mechanical rotation into electrical power, and other systems to start, stop, and control the turbine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in Spain</span>

Spain is one of the countries with the largest wind power capacity installed, with over 27 GW in 2020. In 2013, it had become the first country in the world to have wind power as its main source of energy.

The tip-speed ratio, λ, or TSR for wind turbines is the ratio between the tangential speed of the tip of a blade and the actual speed of the wind, v. The tip-speed ratio is related to efficiency, with the optimum varying with blade design. Higher tip speeds result in higher noise levels and require stronger blades due to larger centrifugal forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in Germany</span>

Wind power in Germany is a growing industry. The installed capacity was 55.6 gigawatts (GW) at the end of 2017, with 5.2 GW from offshore installations. In 2020, 23.3% of the country's total electricity was generated through wind power, up from 6.2% in 2010 and 1.6% in 2000.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, S.A. was formed in 2017 in a merger of Siemens' Wind Power division with Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica, S.A.; it is a Spanish-German wind engineering company based in Zamudio, Biscay, Spain. The company has two other main sites in Spain: one in Madrid and the other in Sarriguren. Other than its headquarters, its onshore business is primarily based in Spain, while the offshore business is based in Germany and Denmark. It is the world's second largest wind turbine manufacturer behind Vestas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswind</span>

Volkswind GmbH is one of the largest operators of wind farms in Germany. The company was founded in 1993 by Martin Daubner and Matthias Stommel, former Enercon employees. The company's headquarters is in Ganderkesee, Germany, and has worldwide subsidiaries in France, England, Poland, Bulgaria and the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind turbine</span> Machine that converts wind energy into electrical energy

A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. As of 2020, hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, were generating over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. Wind turbines are an increasingly important source of intermittent renewable energy, and are used in many countries to lower energy costs and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. One study claimed that, as of 2009, wind had the "lowest relative greenhouse gas emissions, the least water consumption demands and the most favorable social impacts" compared to photovoltaic, hydro, geothermal, coal and gas energy sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BARD Offshore 1</span>

BARD Offshore 1 is a 400 megawatt (MW) North Sea offshore wind farm with 80 BARD 5.0 turbines. Since the owner could not buy such 5MW offshore wind turbines in sufficient numbers in 2006, Dr. Bekker set up its own production of turbines. This should serve as the legacy for his children. The systems were developed by aerodyn Energiesysteme GmbH. A plant for rotor blades and nacelle assembly was built in Emden and a plant for the offshore foundations in Cuxhaven. Two turbine prototypes were set up at the Rysumer Nacken in 2007, and another prototype in Hooksiel in 2008. Construction was finished in July 2013 and the wind farm was officially inaugurated in August 2013. The wind farm is located 100 kilometres (60 mi) northwest of the isle Borkum in 40-metre (130 ft) deep water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enercon E-126</span>

The Enercon E-126 is an onshore wind turbine model manufactured by the German company Enercon. With a hub height of 135 m (443 ft), rotor diameter of 126 m (413 ft) and a total height of 198 m (650 ft), the turbine can generate up to 7.58 megawatts of power, making it the largest wind turbine in the world for several years, until it was overtaken in 2014 by the Danish company Vestas with their V164-8.0 turbine. Their model number is a reference to their rotor diameter.

GE Offshore Wind is a joint venture with Alstom and a subsidiary of GE Vernova, created in 2015 when most of Alstom's electrical power and generation assets were acquired by General Electric. GE's stake in the joint venture is 50% plus 1 share.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GE Wind</span> American wind turbine manufacturer

GE Wind is a division of GE Vernova. The company manufactures and sells wind turbines to the international market. In 2018, GE Wind was the fourth largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world. Vic Abate is the CEO of GE Vernova’s Wind businesses.

E-Ship 1

The E-Ship 1 is a roll-on/lift-off (RoLo) cargo ship that made its first voyage with cargo in August 2010. The ship is owned by the third-largest wind turbine manufacturer, Germany's Enercon GmbH. It is used to transport wind turbine components. The E-Ship 1 is a Flettner ship: four large rotorsails that rise from its deck are rotated via a mechanical linkage to the ship's propellers. The sails, or Flettner rotors, aid the ship's propulsion by means of the Magnus effect – the perpendicular force that is exerted on a spinning body moving through a fluid stream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delabole wind farm</span> Wind farm in Cornwall, England

The Delabole wind farm was the first commercial onshore wind farm built in the United Kingdom, in November 1991. This field of wind turbines was initially developed by Windelectric Management Ltd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind turbines on public display</span>

The great majority of wind turbines around the world belong to individuals or corporations who use them to generate electric power or to perform mechanical work. As such, wind turbines are primarily designed to be working devices. However, the large size and height above surroundings of modern industrial wind turbines, combined with their moving rotors, often makes them among the most conspicuous objects in their areas. A few localities have exploited the attention-getting nature of wind turbines by placing them on public display, either with visitor centers on their bases, or with viewing areas farther away. The wind turbines themselves are generally of conventional horizontal-axis, three-bladed design, and generate power to feed electrical grids, but they also serve the unconventional roles of technology demonstration, public relations, and education.

Adwen GmbH is an offshore wind service company headquartered in Bremerhaven, Germany. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Spanish-German company Siemens Gamesa. Previously the company designed, assembled, and installed 5-Megawatt wind turbines for offshore wind farms. It also designed and manufactured rotor blades through its subsidiary Adwen Blades GmbH, headquartered in Stade, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestas V164</span> Three-bladed offshore wind turbine

The Vestas V164 is a three-bladed offshore wind turbine, produced by Vestas, with a nameplate capacity of up to 10 megawatts, a world record. Vestas revealed the V164's design in 2011 with the first prototype unit operated at Østerild in northern Denmark in January 2014. The first industrial units were installed in 2016 at Burbo Bank, off the west coast of the United Kingdom. By 2021, Vestas had produced 500 of the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aloys Wobben</span> German billionaire businessman (1952–2021)

Aloys Wobben was a German billionaire businessman, engineer, and the founder and owner of the wind turbine company Enercon. He was one of the 50 richest people in Germany, with a fortune estimated at €4.78 billion, as of November 2020. As of August 2021, Forbes estimated his net worth to be US$7.1 billion.

Seawind Ocean Technology B.V., a Netherlands based company, is a manufacturer (OEM) of integrated floating wind turbine and green hydrogen systems. Seawind is developing two-bladed floating wind turbines suitable for installation in all seas, including hurricane regions and ultra-deep waters. Founded on original research and development work by NASA, Hamilton Standard, Enel, and Aeritalia; Seawind's offshore wind power turbines with integrated foundations have been patented, proven at 1.5 MW, and achieved Type D DNV certification in December 2019. The company is now planning the launch of its Seawind 6 demonstrator to be followed by the pre-series Seawind 12, a project earmarked for installation as early as 2024-25 that seeks to obtain DNV's highest certification level.

References

  1. ↑ Simon, Hermann: Hidden Champions of the 21st Century : Success Strategies of unknown World Market Leaders. London: Springer, 2009.- ISBN   978-0-387-98147-5
  2. ↑ "55 IT and wind jobs created in Tralee". June 2010. Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  3. 1 2 NDR. "Das geheime Firmengeflecht von Enercon". www.ndr.de (in German). Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  4. ↑ "Enercon at a Glance". 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Enercon Chronology". 2011. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  6. ↑ "Market Shares". 2011. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  7. ↑ Koch, Hannes (2 August 2018). "Stellenabbau bei Enercon: 800 Wind-Jobs auf der Kippe". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN   0931-9085 . Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  8. ↑ Brühl, Jannis (4 April 2022). "Krieg in der Ukraine: Angriff auf Ka-Sat 9A". Süddeutsche.de (in German). Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  9. ↑ Ferry, Tim (7 April 2022). "Enercon installs turbine with power converter systems in its 'E-nacelle', rather than tower base | Recharge". Recharge | Latest renewable energy news.
  10. ↑ Enercon (July 2002). "Annular generator". Archived from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  11. ↑ dpa (Deutsche Presse-Agentur) (July 2002). "Enercon errichtet grösstes Windrad der Welt bei Magdeburg" (in German). Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  12. ↑ "REpower Systems SE: 5M" (in German). Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  13. ↑ "The Wind Power Database: Estinnes Wind Farm". 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  14. ↑ "ENERCON Wind Energy Converters, Product Overview" (PDF). 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  15. ↑ "Windblatt" (PDF). March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  16. ↑ "'We're not afraid of offshore, but we decided to put 150% into onshore'". Recharge. 2016 [2015]. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  17. ↑ "More MW/t, the offshore imperative.(megawatt thermal)(Enercon (Germany))". March 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  18. ↑ "The Wind Power: Database (Enercon E-15)". September 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  19. ↑ "The Wind Power: Database (Enercon E-16)". September 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  20. ↑ "The Wind Power: Database (Enercon E-17)". September 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  21. ↑ "Enercon E-30 / 330 - 330,00 kW - Wind turbine".
  22. ↑ "Enercon E-33 / 300 - 300,00 kW - Wind turbine".
  23. ↑ "Enercon E-32 / 300 - 300,00 kW - Wind turbine".
  24. ↑ "The Wind Power: Database (Enercon E-40, 500 kW)". September 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  25. ↑ "The Wind Power: Database (Enercon E-40, 600 kW)". September 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Enercon Wind Energy Converters: Technology and Service" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  27. 1 2 "Home". www.enercon.de.
  28. ↑ "The Wind Power: Database (Enercon E-112, 4500 kW)". September 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  29. ↑ "The Wind Power: Database (Enercon E-112, 6000 kW)". September 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  30. ↑ "Home". Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  31. ↑ "E-138 EP3". Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  32. 1 2 "Home". Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  33. ↑ "Enercon raises the bar" . 14 April 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  34. ↑ "Enercon vs. International Trade Commission and Zond Energy Systems" . Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  35. ↑ Space Daily Staff Writers (April 2008). "The Greening of Patent Litigation" . Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  36. ↑ "In the matter of certain variable speed wind turbines and components thereof" (PDF). U.S. International Trade Commission. November 1996. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  37. ↑ Schröm, Oliver (30 October 1999). "Verrat unter Freunden" [Treachery among friends] (in German). Die Zeit (Zeit Online). Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
  38. ↑ "Echelon Rapport, EU Parliament" (PDF).
  39. ↑ "Enercon baut eigenen Bahnhof – Ostfriesen-Zeitung".
  40. ↑ "LOK Report - Enercon: Hermann Bettels GmbH & Co. KG übernimmt ENERCON-Bahngesellschaft e.g.o.o."
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.