GE Wind Energy

Last updated
GE Wind Energy
Company type Division
Industry Wind power
PredecessorZond
Founded1980;44 years ago (1980)
Founder James Dehlsen
Headquarters Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Jérôme Pécresse (CEO of GE Renewable Energy)
  • Pete McCabe (CEO of Onshore Wind)
  • John B. Lavelle (CEO of Offshore Wind)
Products Wind turbines, sale and services of wind farms
RevenueUS$10.4 billion (2020 Onshore Wind)
Parent GE Renewable Energy
Website https://www.ge.com/renewableenergy/wind-energy/
Footnotes /references

GE Wind Energy is a branch of GE Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of General Electric. The company manufactures and sells wind turbines to the international market. In 2018, GE was the fourth largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world. [1]

Contents

History

Enron Wind acquisition era (2002-2015)

The entity was created as developer (not manufacturer) Zond in 1980 by James G.P. Dehlsen, who also formed Clipper Windpower in 2001. Enron acquired Zond and the German manufacturer Tacke Windtechnik in 1997.

In 2002, while gas turbine sales were declining, [2] GE acquired the Enron Wind, the only surviving US manufacturer of large wind turbines at the time, during the bankruptcy proceedings of its parent, Enron. GE increased engineering and support for the Wind Division and doubled its annual sales to $1.2B in 2003.

By acquiring Zond, GE gained a very important patent for variable-speed systems ( US 5083039  ), [3] [4] which had a major impact on the North American market. Enron had continued production of the 1 MW and 1.5 MW wind turbines of Tacke Windtechnik and GE has expanded production in Germany.

GE acquired ScanWind in 2009, [5] and in 2011 Wind Tower Systems LLC, a manufacturer of space frame wind turbine towers. [6]

Growth and acquisitions (2015-)

After the acquisition of Alstom's energy generating assets (2015) GE's wind portfolio was expanded to include the 6-megawatt 'Haliade' offshore turbine (at that time one of the world's most powerful turbines) from Alstom Wind. This became GE Wind (offshore). The same year, GE added Blade Dynamics Ltd., a designer and manufacturer of modular wind turbine blades with principal facilities on the Isle of Wight and in Southampton.

GE acquired LM Wind Power from Doughty Hanson & Co for an enterprise value of €1.5 billion in April 2017. [7]

Products

GE Wind Turbines

Product namePower rating (MW)Rotor diameter (m)Hub height (m) IEC Wind Class
GE 1.5se [8] 1.570.554.7
GE 1.5sle [9] 1.57761.4
GE 1.5xle [10] 1.582.559
GE 1.x-82.5 [11] 1.682.5121.25IIs
GE 1.x-87 [12] 1.858780IIs
GE 2.5xl [13] 2.510085IIb
GE 1.x-100/103[ citation needed ]1.6–1.7100/10380, 96IIIs
GE 3.x-103[ citation needed ]2.5–3.210398, 75, 85IIb
GE 3.x-137[ citation needed ]3.2–3.8137110–164III
GE 3.x-130[ citation needed ]3.2–3.813085–164II
GE 2.x-116[ citation needed ]2.0–2.511680, 90, 94IIs/IIIs
GE 2.x-120[ citation needed ]2.5–2.7512085, 110, 120, 139IIIs, DiBT WZII
GE 2.x-127[ citation needed ]2.2–2.512789IIs/IIIs
GE 4.2-117 [14] (Typhoon class)4.2117
GE 4.8-158 [15] 4.8158101, 120.9, 149, 161s
ECO 80 [16] 1.67–28070–80
ECO 86[ citation needed ]1.678680
ECO 100[ citation needed ]3.010075, 90, 100
ECO 110[ citation needed ]3.011075, 90, 100
ECO 122[ citation needed ]2.7–3.012289, 119, 139
GE 3.6sl (offshore) [17] 3.6111
GE 4.1-113 (offshore)[ citation needed ]4.1113Ib
GE Haliade 150-6 (offshore) [18] 6150110 or site-specificIb
GE Haliade-X (offshore) [19] [20] 12220up to 150Ib
GE Haliade-X 13MW (offshore) [21] 13220138
GE Haliade-X 14MW (offshore) [22] 14220
GE 1.5-megawatt Wind Turbine GE1.5WindTurbine01.jpg
GE 1.5-megawatt Wind Turbine

GE onshore wind turbines

The GE platform began development with the creation of the 1.5-megawatt series of wind turbines that were developed with the cooperation of the United States Department of Energy. [23] It consisted of three fibreglass blades attached to a horizontal axis hub. The hub is connected to the main shaft that turns a multi-stage system of gears. The gears increase the rotational rate and send the kinetic energy obtained from the wind to a doubly-fed electric machine, where it is converted into electrical energy. The angle of the blades and the direction that the turbine faces are controlled by an active, all- electric pitch and yaw system. The generator and gearbox are contained in the nacelle, which is further insulated to minimize noise emissions.

Several optional features support its presence in electrical grids, including voltage regulation, low voltage ride through, and the delivery of reactive power during grid disturbances or periods of low wind.

To further wind power research, a unit was commissioned at the National Wind Technology Center in late 2009. Its 10,000 installations in the US at the time constituted 50% of the national commercial wind energy fleet, influencing the NREL's decision to install a model at the Center.

The next evolution, the 2.5XL, used a permanent magnet generator, and its entire output was converted to AC at mains frequency. The platform was then moved back to the use of a doubly-fed generator and rotor converter, similar to the 1.5 series.

As of 2022, GE had over 40,000 turbines installed across the globe. [24]

GE offshore wind turbines

The offshore GE 3.6 SL model was installed in 2003 at the Arklow Bank Wind Park in Ireland. [25]

In the early 2010s GE cancelled its development of a 4.1-megawatt offshore wind turbine. The only example built, owned by Goteborg Energi, was erected in Goteborg, Sweden, in 2011.

Following the purchase of the Ecotècnia by Alstom and the acquisition of Alstom by General Electric, production started in 2016 at the St. Nazaire factory in France for the 6-megawatt Haliade offshore turbine, featuring a permanent magnet design. This unit started an extended test period in Spring 2016 at Østerild Wind Turbine Test Field.

Haliade-X prototype, 12MW. (Rotterdam, 2020) Haliade-X, frontal view 01.jpg
Haliade-X prototype, 12MW. (Rotterdam, 2020)

The Haliade-X was certified for typhoons in 2021. [26] using a prototype in Rotterdam. GE and Hyundai agreed to build a Haliade-X factory in South Korea. [27]

Key projects

The 845-megawatt Shepherds Flat Wind Farm in Oregon is the first windpark in the United States to utilize permanent magnet design in its primary wind turbine.

Fântânele-Cogealac Wind Farm in Romania, constructed in 2008, uses 240 GE 2.5xl wind turbines capable of generating a total of 600 MW, powering a million Romanian households each year. [28]

The offshore GE 3.6 SL model was installed at the Arklow Bank Wind Park.

Through the provision of 179 GE 3.6-137 turbines to Markbygden Wind Farm in Sweden, GE will create the largest single onshore wind installation in Europe. Norsk Hydro will purchase the power via a 19-year fixed volume corporate PPA; understood to be the largest corporate wind energy PPA in the world. [29]

In April 2018, General Electric announced that it will begin testing the world's largest wind turbine – the Haliade-X – at its facilities in Blyth, England. General Electric's renewable energy department signed a five-year contract with the British government-funded Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to begin trials of the 12-megawatt turbine. [30] A prototype was installed at Port of Rotterdam, producing 288 MWh in 24 hours in February 2020, [31] and a 14 MW prototype started there in October 2021. [32]

Plans in September 2020 called for a new upgraded version of 13 MW GE Haliade-X turbine to be installed at Dogger Bank Wind Farm by 2023, [33] [34] [35] and DNV-certified in late 2022. [36]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arklow Bank Wind Park</span>

Arklow Bank Wind Park is a 25 megawatt offshore wind farm generating electrical power for the Wicklow region in Ireland. It is the first offshore wind farm in Ireland, and the world's first erection of wind turbines rated over 3 MW. It is located on the Arklow Bank, a shallow water sandbank in the Irish Sea, around 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) off the coast of Arklow with an area of 27 by 2.5 kilometres.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in the United States</span>

Wind power is a branch of the energy industry that has expanded quickly in the United States over the last several years. From January through December 2023, 425.2 terawatt-hours were generated by wind power, or 10.18% of electricity in the United States. The average wind turbine generates enough electricity in 46 minutes to power the average American home for one month. In 2019, wind power surpassed hydroelectric power as the largest renewable energy source in the U.S.

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

Wind power' is a major source of energy in Portugal. At the end of 2020, wind power capacity in Continental Portugal was 5,456 MW. In 2020, wind power represented 23.7% of total electricity generation.

|date=January 2015 }}

There are a number of wind power projects in the state of Maine, totaling more than 900 megawatts (MW) in capacity. In 2020 they were responsible for 24% of in-state electricity production. In 2019, Maine had more wind capacity than the other five New England states combined, at 923 MW.

GE Offshore Wind is a joint venture with Alstom and a subsidiary of GE Renewable Energy, 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">Wind power in Massachusetts</span> Electricity from wind in one U.S. state

The U.S. state of Massachusetts has vast wind energy resources offshore, as well as significant resources onshore. The 2016 update to the states's Clean Energy and Climate Plan had a goal of reducing 1990 baseline greenhouse gas emissions levels by 25% by 2020. Current goals include installing 3,500 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind power in the state by 2035. However, as of Q4 2021 the state had only 120 MW of wind powered electricity generating capacity, responsible for generating 0.9% of in-state electricity production. The state has awarded contracts to two offshore projects, the 800 MW Vineyard Wind project and 804 MW Mayflower Wind project. Construction began on the Vineyard Wind 1 project on November 18, 2021, after a long fight for approval. Commonwealth Wind was selected for development in 2021, but the developer has attempted to cancel the project due to increased costs. There are eight projects planned for off the southern coast of Massachusetts, though some will deliver power to Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.

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

In Japan's electricity sector, wind power generates a small proportion of the country's electricity. It has been estimated that Japan has the potential for 144 gigawatts (GW) for onshore wind and 608 GW of offshore wind capacity. As of 2020, the country had a total installed capacity of 4.2 GW.

Ming Yang Wind Power Group Limited is the largest private wind turbine manufacturer in China and the fifth largest overall in the country. The company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange from 1 October 2010 to June 22, 2016. It is developing the world's largest wind turbine with a capacity of 18 MW.

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

James G.P. Dehlsen is an American businessman, inventor, and entrepreneur. He is a pioneering figure in wind power and renewable energy development in the United States and holds 25 patents.

<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.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a group of offshore wind farms under construction 130 to 200 kilometres off the east coast of Yorkshire, England in the North Sea. It is considered to be the world's largest offshore windfarm. It was developed by the Forewind consortium, with three phases envisioned - first phase, second phase and third phase. In 2015, the third phase was abandoned, while the first and second phases were granted consent. It was initially expected that the Dogger Bank development will consist of four offshore wind farms, each with a capacity of up to 1.2 GW, creating a combined capacity of 4.8 GW. As of 2023, a total of 277 turbines are expected to be built and produce a capacity of 3.6 GW, enough to power 6 million homes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Block Island Wind Farm</span>

Block Island Wind Farm is the first commercial offshore wind farm in the United States, located 3.8 mi (6.1 km) from Block Island, Rhode Island in the Atlantic Ocean. The five-turbine, 30 MW project was developed by Deepwater Wind, now known as Ørsted US Offshore Wind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in Nebraska</span> Electricity from wind in one U.S. state

Wind power in Nebraska remains largely untapped in comparison with its potential. In the Great Plains, with more than 47,000 farms and open skies it ranks near the top in the United States in its ability to generate energy from wind. As of 2015, the state had not adopted a renewable portfolio standard. Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) is one of the state's largest purchasers of wind energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GE Renewable Energy</span>

GE Renewable Energy is a manufacturing and services division of the American company General Electric. It is headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France and focuses on the production of energy systems that use renewable sources. Its products include wind, hydroelectric and solar power generating facilities.

The Javelina Wind Energy Center is a 748.7 megawatt (MW) wind farm in southeast Webb County and southwest Duval County located about 25 miles east of Laredo, Texas. The project was developed by Bordas Renewable Energy and NextEra Energy Resources in three phases that came online starting 2015. As of 2018, Javelina and adjacent wind farms create a contiguous facility with over 1 gigawatt (GW) of electricity generation.

Ocean Wind was a proposed utility-scale 2,248 MW offshore wind farm to be located on the Outer Continental Shelf approximately 15 miles (24 km) off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was being developed by Ørsted US Offshore Wind in conjunction with Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G). Construction and commissioning were planned for the mid-2020s. The closed Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station and B.L. England Generating Station would provide transmission points for energy generated by the wind farm.

References

  1. ↑ "Vestas Leads Break-Away Group of Big Four Turbine Makers". BloombergNEF. February 14, 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  2. ↑ "G.E. to Buy Enron Wind-Turbine Assets". New York Times. 12 April 2002. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "Battle lines are drawn: the fight over IP rights - World Wind Technology". www.windpower-international.com. 22 February 2013. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Variable speed wind turbine (US 5083039 A)" (PDF).
  5. ↑ "GE boosts offshore wind with acquisition". CNET. 2009-09-14. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  6. ↑ "GE Acquires Tall Turbine Tech From Wind Tower Systems – TechCrunch". techcrunch.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  7. ↑ "GE Completes Acquisition of LM Wind Power". GE Newsroom. 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  8. ↑ "GE Energy 1.5se - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  9. ↑ "GE Energy 1.5sle - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  10. ↑ "GE Energy 1.5xle - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  11. ↑ "GE General Electric GE 1.6-82.5 - 1,60 MW - Wind turbine". en.wind-turbine-models.com. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  12. ↑ "GE General Electric GE 1.85 - 87 - 1,85 MW - Wind turbine". en.wind-turbine-models.com. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  13. ↑ "General Electric – 2.5 MW Series". ESIG. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  14. ↑ "Riders On The Storm: GE Is Building A Wind Turbine That Can Weather Violent Typhoons, Hurricanes - GE Reports". GE Reports. 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  15. ↑ "4.8-158 Onshore Wind Turbine | GE Renewable Energy". www.ge.com. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  16. ↑ Bauer, Lucas. "Wind turbines database". en.wind-turbine-models.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  17. ↑ "GE Energy 3.6sl - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  18. ↑ Bauer, Lucas. "Alstom Haliade 150 - 6,00 MW - Wind turbine". en.wind-turbine-models.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  19. ↑ "World's Largest Offshore Wind Turbine | Haliade-X | GE Renewable Energy". www.ge.com. Archived from the original on 2019-03-11. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  20. ↑ Vries, Eize de (1 May 2020). "WindTech: Digital 15MW turbine offers help in scaling up". www.windpowermonthly.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020.
  21. ↑ "GE Renewable Energy launches the uprated Haliade-X 13 MW wind turbine for the UK's Dogger Bank Wind Farm September 21, 2020". GE. General Electric. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  22. ↑ "GE Renewable Energy's Haliade-X prototype starts operating at 14 MW". GE. 5 October 2021. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  23. ↑ "Wind and Water Power Program: Large Wind Technology". 2010-07-12. Archived from the original on 2010-07-12. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  24. ↑ Sofia (2022-07-29). "GE Wind Turbines". Lindy Energy. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  25. ↑ "Arklow Bank (Ireland) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  26. ↑ "GE's Haliade-X receives typhoon certification from DNV". www.windtech-international.com. 7 May 2021.
  27. ↑ "Hyundai Electric to build factory to produce Haliade-X offshore wind turbine". Riviera.
  28. ↑ "GE says 600 MW Fantanele-Cogealac wind farm in Romania fully operational". Renewablesnow.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  29. ↑ "GE and Green Investment Group to Deliver 650 MW of Onshore Wind to Sweden". GE Newsroom. 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  30. ↑ "General Electric to debut world's largest wind turbine in UK" Inhabitat, April 24, 2018
  31. ↑ Vorrath, Sophie (7 February 2020). "World's largest offshore wind turbine clocks new 24-hour generation record". RenewEconomy.
  32. ↑ Radowitz, Bernd (5 October 2021). "'First turbine to run at 14MW': GE steps-up power rating at Haliade-X offshore prototype | Recharge". Recharge | Latest renewable energy news.
  33. ↑ "GE's Haliade-X 13-MW giant picked for Dogger Bank offshore wind farm". Renewablesnow.com. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  34. ↑ Ltd, Renews (2020-09-22). "13MW Haliade-X confirmed for Dogger Bank A and B". reNEWS - Renewable Energy News. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  35. ↑ "GE Renewable Energy launches the uprated Haliade-X 13 MW wind turbine for the UK's Dogger Bank Wind Farm | REVE News of the wind sector in Spain and in the world" . Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  36. ↑ "GE's Haliade-X 14.7MW-220 obtains full DNV type certificate". Riviera.
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